


The Walking Death

by ijusthavetowrite



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Character Bashing, Drama & Romance, F/M, Gen, M/M, Mild Gore, Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-26
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-01-17 02:19:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 161,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1370293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ijusthavetowrite/pseuds/ijusthavetowrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would the Master of Death do if the world ended in zombie apocalypse?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Fate was a bitch.

That was what Harry always thought, especially after the war.

Dumbledore was a fucking bastard who cared only for his own view; people were only cannon fodder for his beloved “Greater Good”.

Harry also thought that after the war, especially after he died for the second time.

Master of Death.

Who would have thought that it was more than just a fancy title from a bedtime story?

No one; though Harry should have known better, this was him they were talking about.

The first three years after the Battle of Hogwarts, as they called it nowadays, were crazy. He didn’t get the peaceful life he dreamed of with Voldemort gone. No. Instead, he had obsessive fans and annoying paparazzi stalking him. Everywhere he went, fans and reporters always ambushed him.

People sent him mail and gifts every day, thanking him for saving them again; cursing him for not saving their dead loved ones. He let Kreacher take care of them, scanning and burning every single one, except mail from his best friends and adopted family.

He didn’t have any privacy. Anything he did, everyone knew in the next edition of the Prophet; he was so glad that Teddy lived with his grandmother. He shuddered imagining himself being ambushed while holding a little baby, he had a feeling that those crazy witches wouldn’t pay attention to or even care for the baby’s safety if it means they can rub themselves up on him. Now he shuddered again at the last image. He really didn’t need that.

Other than that, he had a pretty good life with his friends and family, he guessed. Ron and Hermione finally pulled their heads out of their asses after the war and became a couple. He and Ginny found that they were better off as friends than lovers; everyone supported them even though he can see that Molly and Ron were disappointed he wouldn’t be joining their family for real. It didn’t last long, though, because family didn’t end with blood. He had a feeling Ginny was scared off by the popularity after she witnessed him being squeezed out of sight once when they were in Diagon Alley. Oh, and he finally hit his growth spurt. He still wasn’t as tall as Ron but at least he wasn’t a midget anymore.

Speaking of Diagon Alley, there they were walking down the alley; Ron, Ginny and himself. They were helping Ron shop for a ring for Hermione; he was planning to propose and Harry was happy for him. Ginny declared that since Ron was hopeless when it comes to things like this, she would help him. The thought of shopping with Ginny scared Ron somehow so he dragged Harry with them.

Then out of nowhere, a rogue Death Eater appeared in front of them with a curse on his lips. The pain was blinding as Harry felt his body fly backwards from the impact of the curse. There were screams and he realized it was Ginny, followed by other witches and wizards as they realized what had happened. There was a thunderous roar from Ron as he retaliated in Harry’s place. Good old Ron.

He felt another blinding pain as he hit the ground. Ginny was on his side immediately in tears; she kept calling his name over and over again while crying, saying she didn’t know what to do. Harry gasped in pain as he tried to look down and check on his injuries. He immediately wished he hadn’t. His body was a mess; stomach torn open, half of his guts spilling out, his chest no better. It looked like someone or something had tried to pry open his ribcage; some of his ribs were broken, some were missing. Blood was everywhere. He couldn’t see anything else as he choked on his own blood one last time, and then the darkness descended upon him.

When he came to, it was to chaos. People were still screaming and shouting. He realized the aurors were there and the Death Eater was subdued. When he sat up, someone gasped. He turned to see Ginny looking at him with shock and disbelief. Ron, who was holding his sister in comfort, also had the same look on him. He looked down to see his torn clothes and nothing else; his body was smooth without any injuries except for the scars from the war. The blood was still there, but other than that, there was no proof that he was injured before.

Then there was screaming again as people took notice of him. They were looking at him in shock and fear.

“But he was dead!” one of the aurors exclaimed in shock. “I checked him myself! He was dead!”

Harry looked at his friends in shock and panic. Ron nodded in confirmation.

“I…I can’t stay…”

He really can’t. He knows it. People never left him alone before, because he was their savior. Now, he would never have any peace.

“I know,” Ron told him.

“Go, Harry,” Ginny said with teary eyes, “We’ll tell the family…”

He apparated out of the place just as an auror was about to approach him.

The things that happened next were just as expected. People were in uproar about what happened, about how their savior came back to life for the second time before disappearing. Some counted it as the third time, as they included the killing curse he survived as a baby. People began to talk about him being an immortal. Awe and amazement were what they felt. But with time and his disappearance, that awe turned into fear and suspicions. Talk about calling him in for questioning and everything was spreading around. Some said that it was dangerous to let him be. He was powerful and immortal if the rumor was right. They had to make sure that he won’t be the next dark lord, seeing as the last dark lord was also obsessed with immortality. But they couldn’t find him anywhere so a hunt was issued to locate him.

Harry watched all of these from the shadow with bitter feelings. The bitterness was soothed a bit as he watched his friends and family supporting him, no matter what. Still, he couldn’t live in the shadows like that so he went to Gringotts to manage his affairs.

With the goblins’ help – thank Merlin they accepted his and his friends’ apologies for robbing the bank, after he gave them two million galleons as compensation – he created a new identity for himself. He found out that with the Potter and the Black family fortunes combined, he was easily the richest wizard in Europe. Half of his fortune went to the Weasleys; the rest went to Teddy, whom he named heir to the Potter and Black families, and his grandmother. He only kept what was left in his trust fund, which was still plenty enough, before leaving.

He travelled the world for a couple of years, trying to find out what really happened to him and how to undo it. He tried to find anything that had something to do with the Peverells to learn what the meaning of becoming Master of Death was, because not long after his second resurrection, the Elder wand and the resurrection stone somehow found their way back to him. His own invisibility cloak was still with him because it was a family heirloom, but he had a feeling that if he had ditched the cloak three years ago, it would have found its way back to him just like the other two items. That was when he became suspicious about them.

He didn’t find much, but there were a couple speculations about the title. Most experts thought that with the title, came immortality. Some said the one who gained that title would become Death itself. Others believed that the Master of Death would have the ability to kill people or bring people back to life just by wishing.

The last two Harry knew were bollocks. But the first speculation, he was not sure. He didn’t want to believe it, but it was clear that he doesn’t stay dead when he dies. In his journey looking for answers, he had already died four more times, because he was Harry Potter and trouble always finds him everywhere he goes. He always came back to life each time it happened.

At the end of the third year of his travelling, Harry decided to stop looking because it was clear that he wouldn’t find anything that could help him. He was doomed to live with immortality.

He raged for a while. It was unfair; he had done everything and sacrificed a large part of his life to save people, to save the wizarding world, and now he didn’t even get his reward: to live the rest of his life peacefully. No, he got immortality instead.

If only Voldemort knew this; the madman must be rolling in his grave right now. Not that he had a grave.

It took a while for him to calm down. After he did, he thought about what he wanted to do now. He wanted to do something productive; he was still in training to become a healer before he had to leave. After a life full of hide and seek, chasing and being chased by dark wizards, he didn’t want to spend his life doing the same thing, which would only remind him of the war.

After some contemplation, Harry decided to enroll into a medical school in America. Thankfully, he had already finished his muggle education and was in the middle of the equivalent of pre-med at a wizarding university. All he had to do was ask the goblins to help him with transferring the muggle version of his files and application to the states; since the muggle and wizarding version of pre-med education was similar, the process was easy.

The rest was history. He became a physician and got a job at a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He discovered more traits to his title during his experience in school and work. He was more aware of a person’s life span, he could feel the life in a person, he could sense when death was upon someone and sometimes when he wanted to he could see the ghosts of dead people. He used this ability to call the spirits of his parents and Sirius when he was feeling lonely, but he didn’t do this often because he didn’t want to disturb their rest.

He also noticed that he seemed to stop aging somewhere in his early to mid-twenties. He knew this meant that he couldn’t stay in one place for too long; maybe ten years at most before he had to move on.

But like he said, fate was a bitch.

He didn’t have to worry about moving on because six months into his new career, the zombie apocalypse struck the world.

**~ To be continued ~**


	2. Chapter 01

Three months.

It had been three bloody months since the world ended.

Harry stared out at the city. It was crawling with zombies. His face was expressionless and his eyes were void of any emotion. He had thought he was ready to face a life of immortality without the ones he loved, but he thought he would have to watch them age, getting older and weaker, having children and grandchildren before leaving the world behind. He never thought that things would happen so suddenly, that the people he loved, his friends and his family, would be gone so soon and so unexpectedly.

The first month after the apocalypse struck, Harry came out of his sleep, coma… whatever state he fell into. The amount of sudden deaths around him was just too much to handle; he passed out on the first day. When he woke up, he was greeted with the sight of deserted hospital. Well, it was deserted if you didn’t count the ghosts that surrounded him, the ghosts of his friends, and his family. He looked at them in horror as they smiled sadly at him.

He screamed his denial and anguish out loud.

It was so loud that it echoed in the hallways, and minutes later he heard shuffling and growling coming his way. He turned around to see a bunch of dead and rotting people walking towards him. Inferi, was the first thing that came to his mind. He was alert immediately and ready to fight only to have the zombies to walk past him like he wasn’t even there.

Harry made a noise of confusion. The zombies turned to him and then walked past him again, looking for the source of the noise without realizing that it was in front of them. Harry looked to the ghosts of his best friends, and from them he found out about what happened. They told him about the dead people coming back to life, but not really being alive. How they had thirst for flesh. How burning didn’t work at all and the wizarding world didn’t realize they were not inferi until it was too late. How some of them didn’t have the heart to kill their own family-turned-zombies, and how the others killed the zombies mercilessly to survive. They all still succumbed in the end with how fast things spread. Because of how small the wizarding population was to begin with, they were almost extinct in no time.

As he heard their explanation, more and more ghosts came to say goodbye. Harry choked and cried when he saw his thirteen-year-old godson with his grandmother. They were among the first ones to fall.

After they all said their goodbyes to him, the ghosts faded away one by one, leaving Harry to ponder over what happened, wondering how this hell came to be.

Harry watched detachedly as zombies roamed the city. The human population had decreased significantly, either from death or they evacuated while they had the time. He watched in surprise as a small family was attacked and devoured in front of him, before he could even react. He managed to save the little girl, though she was bitten. He thought he could save her, heal her, but it was no use. He didn’t understand what was going on, what was causing this disaster so he didn’t know how to help, other than trying to treat her wounds. She died twelve hours later and turned into one of those zombies.

Harry watched helplessly as she wandered off.

It seemed one of the perks of being Master of Death was being ignored by zombies, or inedible to them, because they attack every single human being they find… except Harry. Lucky him.

The next survivors he found were a bunch of men looking for supplies. They were surrounded and Harry decided to help them. He saved the leader, someone called G or something, and told him and his friends to go ahead while he distracted the zombies. He got bitten in the process. When he finally caught up with the survivors, he was shot in the chest and head as soon as they saw his wounds.

When he came to, he was alone and his injuries were gone. So were the survivors. He sensed the guys on the outskirts of the city, where the signs of life were strongest, but he knew he couldn’t go there. They thought he was dead. Hell, they shot him themselves, so much for gratitude for saving their lives. He realized then how the world worked now.  
Almost two months later, if he counted it right, he sat on the roof of tallest building in the city. Doing nothing but staring into space as more and more deaths happened in the world. He could feel them, but only faintly because they either happened in small numbers or really, really far away. Most of the time, he just blocked them out, having learnt to block the feeling since waking up. He never tried before because it helped him on the job, but now it was nothing but torment, feeling nothing but death around him. He hadn’t felt any life for a while now; when he did, it was gone soon after.

Harry never understood why Voldemort wanted immortality so much, now more than ever. It was not what it was all cracked up to be. Especially with the world having ended.  
He sighed.

Suddenly, there were sounds. Gunshots. They sounded faint, but they were there. Whichever idiot decided to go gun blazing in a city full of zombies deserved whatever fate came to them. Then again, maybe they were defending themselves; he waited for a while but didn’t hear more gunshots.

He hadn’t been able to pin point the location of the sounds, so he apparated from one roof to another in the general direction of the sound. When he came across a dark cloud covering a small part of the city, raining hard, he stopped; it was a cloudburst, which frequently affected Atlanta, and he knew it would pass quickly.

Then he heard it, the sound of an alarm blaring in the air. A red car was driving beside a white truck, before leaving the truck behind. From what he observed, the red car was acting as bait for the zombies, and when whoever driving the car cleared the street successfully, the white truck came into view to pick up other survivors.  
They were not G and his people.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Earlier that day…

Amy, a young blonde girl, walked through the camp with a little red bucket in her hand, going to the campfire where a brunette woman sat. Lori looked up at her.

“Any luck?” she asked.

“How do we tell if they’re poisonous?” Amy asked as she dumped the contents of her bucket into the bowl Lori was holding. It was the mushrooms she collected.

“Uh…” Lori examined them. “There’s only one sure way I know of.”

“Ask Shane when he gets back?” Amy asked.

“Yeah, you’ve got it. Thank you,” Lori took the bucket and got up. She looked up when she passed the RV. “Dale, I’m heading out,” she told the old man on lookout on top of the RV. Her son was playing near a car. “Sweetheart, I want you to stay where Dale can see you, okay?”

“Yes, Mom,” the boy said.

“You too. Don’t wander too far,” Dale told her. “Stay within shouting distance. And if you see anything, holler. I’ll come running.”

Lori turned away and smirked in amusement, “Yes, Mom.”

She walked down the little path in the woods, the bugs chittering around her. She looked for more mushrooms; maybe herbs that can help improve their meals so it wouldn’t be as bad as it usually was.

She looked up when she heard a rustling, and paused. A bird was chirping overhead. She felt nervous. These days, though, it was understandable to be nervous when there was sound but nothing could be seen. Even in the old days, it was a sign of nothing good. Getting up, she chose to walk to another part of the woods. She gasped and turned around when she heard a snapping sound, and another and another. Not seeing anything, she turned back only to have someone shove their hand over her mouth, preventing any shouting, and shove her down, softly, to the ground. Her heart leapt.

“Shh shh shh…” Shane shushed her before letting her ago.

She smiled and hit him “You scared the hell out of me,” she rebuked.

“I bet,” Shane grinned. “That’s what you get for keeping me waiting. I was trying to be quiet.”

Shane straddled her, his legs trapping her on the ground. She settled into a more comfortable position.

“Where’ve you been?”

“Amy the mushroom queen…” Lori told him. “I had to wait for her to get back.”

He leant down and kissed her, and she responded nicely. Reaching a hand into her hair, they moved into a sitting position.

“How much time do we have?” Shane asked as he unbuttoned his shirt.

“Enough,” Lori said, helping with the buckle of his belt.

She laid back down when he unzipped her jeans. Shane leant down and kissed the soft skin of her stomach, licking at her navel. Lori gasped, and then moaned, moving to pull her own top off. Shane kissed his way up, his eyes landing on the silver locket around her neck, and paused. She looked down at the locket that contained her family photo, with Rick’s, her husband’s, wedding ring sitting side by side with it. Their eyes locked with each other in awkward silence, before she moved to remove them, placing the locket and ring on the ground beside them.

Then she moved up to meet Shane with a kiss. They kissed like mad, Shane reaching down to pull their jeans off, before slipping inside the familiar heat. They moaned as they moved together, Lori holding on tightly to him. Enjoying every sensation she could feel, one of the few things that gave meaning to life for her nowadays; one of the only things that could make her feel something again. It didn’t matter that she was doing it with her husband’s best friend, because her husband was dead. And she would never see him again.

She clenched her eyes tightly and forced herself to forget that one little fact.

“Come here,” Shane turned her around.

She let him take her from behind. It was easier this way, anyway.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

It had been a few days since Rick Grimes found himself waking up from his coma. The last thing he remembered before that was chasing some criminal on a highway, and getting shot for it. He remembered Shane, his long-time best friend and partner, visiting him. Other than that, nothing.

Next thing he found after getting out of his hospital room was that everything was dead. The hospital was abandoned and looked like it had been through hell. A body in a horrifying state was lying on the floor of one of the hallways. Suspicious growling and snarling from behind a heavily locked door scared him to the emergency staircase. The warning, “DON’T OPEN. DEAD INSIDE.” really didn’t help at all.

Then in the yard, he found tons of bodies wrapped in white clothes, and abandoned vehicles and choppers. Everything looked like a war defense line. He thought the world had gone to hell.

On his way home, he found another body. A woman. Rotting, with only had half of her body. And yet, she was still moving, reaching out for him with a snarl. He had a feeling she wasn’t asking for help. Finding a bike, he rode his way down the sidewalk as fast as he could, trying to reason out what the hell he was seeing.

Finding his home empty and abandoned left him worried, out of his mind thinking about what could have happened to his wife and son.

Later, a man and his son found him; well… he was knocked on the head by the son with a shovel, and the father threatened him at gun point. That was when he decided enough was enough, and he blacked out.

That night, the man, Morgan, told him what had happened to the world while he was in coma. A disaster had struck the world. Walkers… people that came back from death, and started eating living people. The people that got bitten by walkers eventually turned into a walker themselves. The only way to take them down was by destroying their brains.  
To say Rick was baffled was the understatement of century.

He also feared what had happened to his family. His only hope for them to still being alive was the missing clothes and photo albums; family pictures he was sure Lori packed when they evacuated. Morgan’s son, Duane, told him about the possibility about his family going to a refugee center in Atlanta. The CDC was also there working out how to solve this thing.

Rick felt his hope blossom more and more.

He decided to go there. He, with Morgan and his son, went to the Linden County to pack some supplies for him. Especially weapons. He shared half of it with Morgan, and they decided to part ways. Morgan wanted to go back while Rick wanted to go look for his family. They made an arrangement to keep in touch, in case Morgan changed his mind.  
Then he went on his way. Once in awhile, he used the radio to contact someone, anybody; no one responded. Aside from Morgan and Duane, he didn’t find any life sign. It was depressing. In fact, everything was depressing.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Dale turned in surprise when the radio crackled to life. Amy dumped the firewood she was carrying and ran over to the radio, grabbing the mike.

“Hey, hello?” Amy said excitedly. Everyone approached her, watching and waiting.

“Can you hear my voice?” the man on the other side asked.

“Yes, I can hear you. You’re coming through. Over,” she responded quickly.

“If anybody reads, please respond.”

Amy frowned. She looked at Dale, confused.

“Broadcasting on emergency channel. Will be approaching Atlanta on Highway 85. If anybody reads, please respond.”

“We’re just outside the city,” Amy said exasperatedly. The radio just continued to crackle. “Damn it. Hello? Hello? He couldn’t hear me. I couldn’t warn him,” Amy informed them.  
“Try to raise him again,” Dale told her. “Come on, son,” he continued, motioning to Shane, “you know best how to work this thing.”

Shane walked over and slammed the axe down on the trunk near the radio, then took the radio mike from Amy.

“Hello, hello, is the person who called still on the air?” Shane asked. No answer. “This is Officer Shane Walsh broadcasting to person unknown. Please respond.” Receiving only more crackling, he sighed, “He’s gone.”

Everyone was silent.

“There are others. It’s not just us,” Lori said.

“We knew there would be, right? That’s why we left the CB on,” Shane replied.

“A lot of good it’s been doing,” she commented.

“Okay,” Shane nodded, acknowledging the jab.

“And I’ve been saying for a week we ought to put signs up on 85 and warn people away from the city,” she added.

“Folks got no idea what they’re getting into,” Amy said.

“Well, we haven’t had time,” Shane said.

“I think we need to make time,” Lori argued.

“Yeah, that…that’s a luxury we can’t afford. We are surviving here. We are day to day,” Shane reminded them.

“And who the hell would you propose we send?” Dale asked her.

“I’ll go. Give me a vehicle,” Lori challenged.

“Nobody goes anywhere alone. You know that,” Shane stated.

She looked down, clearly offended that her opinion was rejected. “Yes sir,” she said sarcastically as she walked past him.

Carl made to follow her but Shane stopped him, assuring him it was fine and he would talk to his mom to calm her. He followed her back to her tent.

“What, are you pissed at me?” he called out. She just went into the tent. “You can be pissed at me all you want. It’s not gonna change anything.”

He got into the tent. She was turning her back on him.

“I’m not putting you in danger, okay? I’m not doing it for anything,” Shane said again. “That makes you feel like sometimes you want to slap me upside the head…tell you what, girl? You feel that need, you go right ahead. I’m right here. Go on.”

Lori turned around. She looked at him. Shane shook his head.

“You cannot walk off like that, all half-cocked,” he said. “Look, you don’t want to do it for my sake or your sake, that’s fine. But just…you do it for him.” She paused. “That boy has been through too much and he’s not losing his mother too, okay? Okay?”

She nodded. “I’m a good mom,” she said.

Shane sighed. “You tell me ‘okay’,” he demanded.

Lori looked at him and nodding. This time she meant it.

“It’s not hard,” He smiled. “Alright? Hey…”

He stepped closer to her and they kissed.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

After his car ran out of gas, Rick couldn’t find any more; instead, he found a walker. A little girl. He was forced to shoot her, right in the forehead. His heart felt heavy. He still couldn’t really accept what was happening, but he had to.

He found a farmhouse where a family was dead inside, rotting away. Fortunately, he could find a horse, still living and healthy. It had been a while since the last time he rode, but he would make do.

Turned out, riding a horse into the city of Atlanta was a bad idea. First, he thought he saw and heard a chopper. He went looking for it only to run into a street full of walkers; he was surrounded in no time. His horse became their meal; he was forced to drop his bag of weapons and hide in an abandoned tank in the middle of the street. There was also a dead body in the tank that turned out to be a walker.

Ain’t that great?

He shot the walker with it’s own gun. The resounding sound made his ears ringing like hell, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. Just when he lost all hope, though, the radio crackled to life.

“Hey, you. Dumbass,” a man’s voice was heard from the radio. “Yeah, you in the tank. Are you cozy in there?”

The man from the radio was outside. He told Rick to make a run for it to the other side of the tank where it wasn’t surrounded. He was going to be his eyes from the outside, told him to meet him at a certain point on the street. Rick couldn’t get his weapon bag, though, and he only had a gun and a grenade he found from the walker in the tank. Oh, well.  
Rick climbed out of the tank and saw the walkers were busy with the horse. The sight was horrifying. He ran to the other side, shooting at the walkers when it was really needed until he found an Asian boy waiting for him in a back alley. They climbed the stairs on the side of the building with walkers hot on their heels, before taking a breath.

“Nice moves there, Clint Eastwood. You the new sheriff come riding in to clean up the town?” the young man asked sarcastically.

Rick couldn’t find it in him to retort back. The boy just saved his life.

“It wasn’t my intention,” he said instead.

“Yeah, whatever. Yeehaw,” the boy said again. “You’re still a dumbass.”

“Rick. Thanks,” Rick offered his hand.

“Glenn. You’re welcome,” Glenn shook his hand. “Oh, no…”

The walkers were trying to climb their way up. Both men were forced to climb higher to the rooftop. It was really, really high.

“Bright side… it would be the fall that killed us,” Glenn said morbidly, “I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy.”

They made their way up and then down inside building with the stairs on the rooftop. Glenn had a walkie with him, and was talking to someone on it. Then when they reached the ground floor, two walkers were there. Before he could worry, though, the door on the building across from them was slammed open. Two men in protective gear came out and started to bash the walkers with baseball bats while Glenn and Rick took the chance to run inside. The men followed seconds later and slammed the door closed again.

Rick was met with a gun in his face, a blonde haired, ponytailed woman on the other side of it. She looked angry, blaming him for cornering them. There were others with her. Apparently, they were a group of survivors coming into town to get supplies, but they had to do it quietly to avoid the walkers’ attention. Rick, shooting his way into the city, had put a damper on the plan and now they were trapped with walkers outside trying to break down the front entrance and windows, which were made of glass.

He couldn’t blame them for being pissed at him.

“What the hell are you doing out there anyway?” Andrea asked.

“Trying to flag the helicopter,” Rick said.

“Helicopter? Man, that’s crap,” a big African-American man said. “There ain’t no damn helicopter.”

“You were chasing a hallucination, imagining things. It happens,” a dark skinned woman said.

“I saw it,” Rick insisted stubbornly.

“Hey, T-Dog,” Morales called the dark man, “Try that CB. Can you contact the others?”

“Others? The refugee center?” Rick asked.

“Yeah, the refugee center. They’ve got biscuits waiting in the oven for us,” the dark skinned woman from earlier said with sarcasm.

“Got no signal. Maybe the roof,” T-Dog checked the walkie.

Just then, gunshots were heard from the rooftop. They looked up in surprise.

“Oh, no. Was that Dixon?” Andrea asked exasperatedly.

Everyone ran to the rooftop. A Caucasian man was shooting like crazy with his gun on the roof. Merle Dixon looked like a redneck, and when he started talking, Rick knew he was trouble. He appeared to be high on drugs too. After a fight broke out and the man pointed a gun at T-Dog, Rick was forced to cuff the man to a pipe.

After several discussions, with everyone ignoring Merle whenever he talked, they came up with a plan. Actually, Glenn was the one who came up with a plan. It was pretty good, too. Rick wondered what he did as a job before the world went to hell.

While Glenn went down to the underground sewer to check if the way was clear, Rick and the others watched the walkers in the front. Andrea was looking through the women’s accessories, smiling when she saw something, a mermaid necklace.

“See something you like?” Rick asked.

“Not me, but I know someone who would…my sister,” she informed him. “She’s still such a kid in some ways. Unicorns, dragons…she’s into all that stuff. But mermaids…they rule. She loves mermaids.”

“Why not take it?” Rick suggested. She glanced at him and his uniform.

“There’s a cop staring at me,” Andrea smirked. Rick chuckled in response. “Would it be considered looting?”

“I don’t think those rules apply anymore. Do you?” he said.

Andrea smiled. She looked back at the necklace and took it. Of course, that moment of peace had to be shattered by the walkers. They managed to break the first door and were now banging on the second one, the last one.

Everybody went back to the rooftop. New information about the walkers smelling them in order to recognize them as food got Rick thinking. Of course, his idea was crazy and everyone was reluctant to follow it. Who wouldn’t be? Covering themselves with walker guts and blood was beyond crazy. But they had no other choice. There was a lot of gagging and swearing as they worked. Glenn even lost the contents of his stomach.

The plan was for Rick and Glenn to disguise themselves as walkers, and make their way to the nearest functioning cars that they can take. Rick gave T-Dog the handcuff key so they could free Merle when they got back, ready to leave. The plan was working nicely. The walkers looked at them, smelled them, and then ignored them.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Everybody in the camp was restless. Amy was pacing back and forth; Dale and Jim were trying to fix the RV and some of the women were doing laundry. Lori looked at Shane playing with Carl, teaching the boy how to tie a knot. She smiled at the sight.

“Boy, that hose isn’t long for this world, is it?” Dale commented.

“No sir,” Jim nodded.

“Where the hell are we gonna find a replacement?” Dale asked.

“It’s late. They should’ve been back by now!” Amy sighed worriedly.

“Worrying won’t make it better,” Dale commented.

Suddenly, the radio crackled to life. They had moved it to the top of the RV after the last contact they received.

“Hello, base camp!” T-Dog’s voice was heard squawking through the radio. “Can anybody out there hear me? Base camp, this is T-Dog. Anybody hear me?”

It grabbed everyone’s attentions.

Dale quickly climbed up the RV and grabbed the mike. “Hello? Hello? Reception’s bad on this end. Repeat. Repeat,” he said.

“Shane, is that you?” was the reply.

“Is that them?” Lori asked Dale.

“We’re in some deep shit,” T-Dog continued to speak. “We’re trapped in the department store. There are geeks all over the place. Hundreds of ‘em. We’re surrounded.”

Everybody felt their hearts sink.

“He say they’re trapped?”

“T-Dog, repeat that last. Repeat,” Dale requested.

But there was only static.

“He said the department store,” Lori said.

“I heard it too,” Dale confirmed.

Everyone looked at Shane. He was looking down, thinking.

“Shane?” Lori asked.

“No way,” he said. “We do not go after them. We do not risk the rest of the group. Y’all know that.”

“So we’re just gonna leave her there?” Amy asked angrily.

“Look, Amy, I know that this isn’t easy…”

“She volunteered to go to help the rest of us,” she reminded him.

“I know, and she knew the risks, right?” Shane said again, trying to reason with her. Not without feeling guilty. “See, if she’s trapped, she’s gone. So we just have to deal with that. There’s nothing we can do.”

Amy looked at him with hate in her eyes. “She’s my sister, you son of a bitch!” she spat at him and stomped away.

Shane turned around. Everyone was watching awkwardly. Most of them could understand the decision he made, but it was still a bitter pill to swallow. Lori looked at him disappointedly, then turned and ran after Amy.

Shane sighed deeply.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick felt like Fate hated them.

Halfway through the plan, the clouds darkened, lightning flashed, thunder sounded and the rain started to fall, washing them off the guts and blood. The walkers were quick to smell the intruders.

Soon, they were running for their life, whacking at every walker in their way with axes. They ran until they reached the barricade door and climbed over it. They got into a truck just as a walker managed to climb its way over and then the barricade was broken. They drove away at high speed.

They made a quick plan. Glenn drove a red sports car with its alarm blaring for every walker in the city to hear. He was going to clear the street in front of the department store. He informed the others to be ready at the roll-up doors in front of the store, and to meet Rick there.

Glenn managed to clear the street; Rick rolled in a few seconds later, backing up to the door that was mentioned earlier. He rolled up the truck’s door in time for the others to jump in. They drove away soon after with walkers on their heels. Rick did a head count. Merle wasn’t there. He looked at them questioningly and everyone turned to T-Dog.  
“I dropped the damn key,” T-Dog answered the unasked question.

They sighed. They felt bad, but they also felt Merle brought this upon himself. No love lost on him.

“Where’s Glenn?” Andrea asked.

Just then, Glenn drove past them, the car still blaring, hollering in joy all the way out of the city.

They drove for quite some time before they arrived at the campsite. Glenn was the first one to arrive. Shane didn’t look pleased at all with the way he came back, blaring their location to the walkers for miles around. He chewed him out quite a bit.

Then the truck approached. As everyone jumped out of the truck excitedly, Morales patted Rick on the shoulder, “Come meet everybody.”

Rick could hear their loved ones greeting them. He closed his eyes; his family wasn’t here. He had no one to greet him. He actually felt jealous of the others. Reluctantly, he stepped out of the car. As he walked up the path, though, he was greeted with an unexpected sight.

Shane froze when he saw Rick come into view. The man looked just as surprised to see him. Then Rick’s eyes went past him and landed on his family. He smiled and choked on something between a laugh and a cry of relief.

“Dad! Dad!” Carl ran past Shane towards the man.

Rick caught the boy in his arms and cried in relief. Everyone looked amazed and touched at the unexpected reunion. Rick walked to Lori with Carl in his arms and pulled her into a hug. It was a tearful reunion.

Shane watched them from the side. He had mixed feelings, especially when Lori locked eyes with him. Shock, confusion, guilt, fear and anger… He knew without a doubt then that the thing between him and her was over.

**~ To be continued ~**


	3. Chapter 02

It was the next day when Harry decided to look for the survivors. After he gathered whatever personal things he could carry, he found a pick-up truck he could use to drive in the general direction he saw them go. He gathered some supplies first. In this new, harsh world, it could probably soften the wary survivors enough to accept him if he contributes something to help them. First impression and all.

What? He was supposed to be a Slytherin.

He didn’t dare apparate because he didn’t know exactly where they went, or the layout of the woods. For the first time in weeks, he opened his senses and felt for any life form he could find. In his mind, he knew this was a stupid idea but he couldn’t bear being alone for much longer. He was numb enough as it was. He would go mad if he was alone any longer.

Everyone was there when his truck pulled up near the camp. Immediately, the men approached warily. The tension was thick in the air; there seemed to be some adrenaline in the works.

“Who are you?” A man with dark curly hair asked, almost hostile. His nose was almost as big as Snape’s, but not crooked, and in different shape; it actually looked good on him.

Harry opened his mouth only to cough hoarsely. It had been too long since he used his voice.

“Answer him!” Another hostile looking man barked. This one had a pair of cat-like eyes on him.

“Guys, relax,” another man, with a smaller build in police uniform, said.

“Harry…” he answered hoarsely, “Harry…Potter-Black. Sorry, it’s been a long time since…I’ve had to use my voice… No one to talk to…”

The expressions on some of the survivors, mostly women, softened at that.

“How did you find us?”

“Saw you in the city…but couldn’t call out to you, so I just followed the alarm, but then lost it soon after. So I wandered around for a bit…got lost for a couple of times…then here I am,” Harry said, half lying and half telling the truth.

The first man glared at an Asian boy as if it was his fault. His life force felt familiar and Harry recognized him as the one who drove the sports car. He was probably angry because that alarm certainly was an invitation for the zombies to dinner. Or breakfast.

“Who else is with you?” an Africa-American man asked him.

“No one,” Harry said, “Told you I didn’t have anyone to talk to until now.”

“You survived out there alone all this time?” a blonde woman with a ponytail asked impressed.

“Woke up in the hospital almost two months ago to find the world has gone to hell and I’m alone,” Harry shrugged.

The officer that looked like he had just recovered from serious sickness looked at him in sympathy. “Yeah, me too,” he said, then offered his hand, “I’m Rick Grimes.”

“Pleasure,” Harry said accepting the handshake.

“This is my partner, Shane Walsh,” Rick nodded to Shane.

“Partner?” Harry raised an eyebrow.

Rick blushed and Shane blanched, while some others in the camp smiled amusedly. “Not that kind of partner. We are police and work together,” Rick clarified, gesturing at his uniform.

“Ah,” Harry nodded.

“I assume you’re here to join us?” Shane asked, glaring. Probably because of the ‘partner’ comment.

“If it’s okay with you guys. I just…feel like I’m going crazy being alone out there and…I brought some supplies, if it helps.”

“Of course it’s okay for you to join us,” Rick said.

“Let’s see what you brought us,” Shane said as he walked past him.

They were impressed with what he brought them. Well, being ignored by zombies really helps with gathering supplies. There was a box of canned foods, varied from soups, beans to sardines. He could only find a box of them because food was one of the first things that people scavenged in order to survive. He also found three gallons of water, some medicine, and some medical kits. What? He was a doctor. There were blankets and a bag of clothes, cleaning supplies like soaps, toothpastes, toothbrushes, kitchen supplies like salt, sugar, pepper, instant coffee and teas, a pot and a pan and some knives.

“Man, this is a gold mine!” the Asian boy exclaimed.

Harry tried to smile, but it came out awkward. It had been awhile since he last needed to use expression after all. The blonde woman in ponytail gasped as she checked the content of one box.

“You got supplies for womanly needs?” she asked incredulously.

Harry didn’t even blush. “I told you, I saw you guys yesterday. I knew the women would appreciate it. It’s not much, though.”

“It’s more than enough for now. Thank you,” she smiled. “I’m Andrea. This is my sister, Amy.”

“Nice to meet you,” Harry said.

“No weapons? How did you survive without weapons?” Shane asked suspiciously.

“I have a gun,” Harry showed him, “And a lot of bullets. I don’t know how to use most firearms, so I just have this one, which I know how to use. Oh, I also have a machete in the truck.”

“That means we still have to go to the city for the guns,” Shane said.

“We’re going back for my brother y’all left behind anyway!” the hostile man from earlier snapped at them.

“Daryl, calm down. We’ll get your brother back,” Rick promised.

After everyone introduced themselves, they helped him unload the supplies while some of the men prepared to go back to the city. Harry realized that it was stupid of him to not think about grabbing a tent. It just didn’t cross his mind that these survivors lived in a camp instead of an abandoned house or something. At least he had a sleeping bag.

“Ah, let me handle those,” Harry said as Amy carried the medical supplies.

“Why?” she asked confused.

“I’m a physician. I think it’s best if I’m the one responsible for those, huh?” he said.

“You’re a doctor?”Andrea asked, “Wow, we’re in luck.”

“Yeah, we could use a doctor around just in case,” Dale said.

“You look really young to be a doctor,” Jim commented.

“Now that he said it, Jim’s right. You don’t look that much older than Glenn,” Dale said.

“Yeah, I got that a lot,” Harry replied.

“So, where are you from, Harry? I couldn’t place your accent,” Andrea asked.

“Well, I grew up in Surrey, England. Went to a private boarding school in Scotland since eleven. Then I travelled a bit around the globe for three years before coming here to get my M.D. So I guess my accent got a bit wonky because of it,” Harry told them.

“Yeah, well, I’m off. Got something to do.” With that, Jim left taking a shovel with him.

“Hey, guys! You finished there?” Jacqui called out to them she walked by with Carol, baskets of laundry in their hands, “Come on! It’s laundry time!”

“Ah, wait! I’m coming with you. Got some laundry to do as well,” Harry said.

“Well then give it to us,” Amy told him.

“What? No! It’s my laundry. I’ll do it. Besides, you girls have enough as it is,” Harry eyed the baskets full of dirty clothes that were loaded in the car Ed prepared.

“If only all of the men in this camp were a gentlemanly Brit like you,” Andrea sighed.

Amy laughed and Dale chuckled, shaking his head. Harry smirked as he went to get his stuff. Ten minutes later, they were down at the stream. Harry had a feeling that none of the women liked Ed; from the impression he got, the man was a bastard. Maybe even an abusive bastard, but he hadn’t done anything since Harry arrived.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Dale was keeping watch on the top of the RV like usual, but this time he was more on guard. After all, a walker managed to find it’s way to them this morning, before the new guy arrived. God knows how many others were on their way.

“Dale!” The old man turned around to see Lori looking up at him. “Have you seen Carl?”

“Shane took him down the quarry. There was some mighty bold talk about catching frogs,” Dale informed her.

Lori looked around. She walked to the edge of the cliff to see her son with Shane down at the stream. Anger flashed in her eyes.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry saw Shane and Carl were already in the water on the other side, trying to catch some fish maybe. Looking at the women unloading the baskets, he was thankful he only had to wash two shirts and a pair of jeans, underwear and socks. He was in the middle of washing when things picked up at Shane and Carl’s side. It seemed that they were trying to catch frogs instead of fishes.

“I’m beginning to question the division of labor here,” Jacqui said as she watched them playing more than working. “Can someone explain to me how the women wound up doing all the Hattie McDaniel work?”

Harry coughed. The women smiled amusedly at him.

“You don’t count, honey,” Jacqui said. “Besides, you only wash your own laundry.”

He smirked.

“Well?”

“The world ended. Didn’t you get the memo?” Amy said.

Carol looked over at her husband before handing Jacqui some of the washed clothes. “It’s just the way it is,” she said resignedly.

They worked in silence. But soon it got boring.

“I do miss my Maytag,” Carol said suddenly.

“I miss my Benz, my SatNav,” Andrea said.

“I miss my coffeemaker with that dual-drip filter and built-in grinder, honey,” Jacqui added longingly.

“My computer and texting,” Amy sighed.

Everyone looked at him. He raised an eyebrow.

“What about you?” Amy asked. Harry shrugged. “What? There must be something you miss.”

“Yeah. My friends and family. My godson. My life the way it was,” Harry said.

Everyone was silent.

“What a way to break the mood, huh?” Harry said again.

“Ya think?”

“Sorry,” Harry grinned sheepishly.

“I miss my vibrator,” Andrea said suddenly.

Harry snorted while Jacqui ooh-ed at her. They all giggled as Amy exclaimed in disbelief.

“Oh my God!”

Carol looked at her husband before whispered carefully, “Me too.”

Everyone burst out laughing at the confession, even Harry. Ed looked at them suspiciously and walked over to them.

“What’s so funny?” he asked in that annoying way that made Harry wanted to punch him.

“Just swapping war stories, Ed,” Andrea replied.

“Yeah.”

The man kept walking to them, eyeing them in the way that made the women’s skins crawled. Harry narrowed his eyes.

“Problem, Ed?” he asked.

“Nothin’ that concerns you, sissy boy,” he sneered, “And you ought to focus on your work. This ain’t no comedy club.”

Harry’s glare was menacing enough that Ed took a step back unconsciously. Hey, he learnt from the Master of Glares, Severus Snape. Andrea huffed at the coward.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Hey, Carl,” Lori called out. The boy was taking a break, sitting on a big stone with Shane. “What did I tell you about not leaving Dale’s sight?”

“But Shane said we could catch frogs, remember?” Carl said.

“It doesn’t matter what Shane says. It matters what I say. Go on back to camp,” Lori ordered, motioning with her hand.

The boy sighed and got up reluctantly.

“I’ll be right behind you,” she promised.

“I gotta tell you,” Shane said when the boy was out of hearing distance. “I do not think you should be taking this out on him.”

“You don’t tell me what to do. You lost that privilege,” Lori said without looking back.

“Lori, could you just wait up a sec? I think we should talk,” Shane made to follow her. “We haven’t had a chance…”

“No,” Lori shook her head. “No no…that’s over too. You can tell that to the frogs.”

“Damn it, Lori. Look, I don’t know how it appears to you or what you think…”

“How it appears to me?” She cut him off. “I’m sorry. Is there a gray area here? Let me dispel it. You stay away from me. You stay away from my son. You don’t look at him. You don’t talk to him. From now on, my family is off-limits to you.”

Shane looked at her.

“Lori, I don’t think that’s fair…”

“Shane, shut up. Don’t!” She strode to him in anger. “My husband is back. He is alive.”

“He’s my best friend. Do you think I’m not happy about that?” Shane asked.

“How dare you? Why would you be? You’re the one that told me he died! You son of a bitch!” she hissed.

Shane stood there in silence. He didn’t know what to say. All he knew was what he was feeling, confusion and anger.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

A few minutes later, Harry was finished with his laundry. He noticed something from the corner of his eyes. Lori was approaching Shane and Carl, who were sitting on a stone in the water shore. She talked a little and took her son away with her. Shane was just sitting there looking at them. He got up and he must be saying something because Lori turned around to face him. Looked like there was an argument. And then Lori left the man to stew on whatever she chewed him out for.

Harry saw Shane’s shoulders slump a bit. He picked up his tools and followed Lori and Carl who were already far ahead of him.

“Ed, tell you what…” Andrea said suddenly. Harry turned to see what was going on. “You don’t like how your laundry is done, you are welcome to pitch in and do it yourself. Here.”  
She threw a wet shirt at him, which was thrown back at her face.

“Oh!”

“Ain’t my job, Missy,” he sneered.

Harry got up with the others.

“Andrea, don’t,” Amy told her.

“What is your job, Ed? Sitting on your ass smoking cigarettes?” Andrea mocked.

“Well, it sure as hell ain’t listening to some uppity smart-mouthed bitch. Tell you what…” Ed motioned to Carol. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Harry said, “I don’t think she needs to go anywhere with you, Ed.”

“And I say it’s none of your business, Sissy,” Ed spat, and told his wife, “Come on now. You heard me.”

“Carol…” Andrea moved to stop her. She clearly looked worried for her.

“Andrea, please. It doesn’t matter,” Carol said softly.

“Hey, don’t think I won’t knock you on your ass just ‘cause you’re some college-educated cooze. Alright?” Ed said, earning a gasp from Andrea. “Now you come on now, or you’re gonna regret it later.”

“So she can show up with fresh bruises later, Ed? Yeah, we’ve seen them,” Jacqui glared at him.

Ed laughed at her.

“Hey, why don’t you leave the ladies alone and face a man for once?” Harry challenged.

“Stay out of this,” Ed warned him. “Now come on! You know what? This ain’t none of y’all’s business. You don’t want to keep prodding the bull here, okay? Now I’m done talking. Come on!”

Ed pulled Carol to him. Everything happened too fast. The women tried to stop Ed and there was shouting. Harry moved before he realized it. He ended up receiving the slap that was meant for Carol. Everyone gasped and looked at him in surprise. Harry glared at the larger man coldly. He saw Shane coming up to them and immediately kicked Ed to him as hard as he could. Shane caught the bastard and dragged him away; Ed grunted as Shane threw him to the ground and began to beat the life out of him. Carol made a frightened sound.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Amy reassured her.

“No!”

Harry watched the show with satisfaction. Shane still had some anger and frustration from whatever he was fighting about with Lori earlier, and he took it all out on Ed. Harry let him while the women tried to tell him to stop. Finally, when Shane stopped, Ed was almost unrecognizable. Shane pulled him closer with the collar of his shirt.

“You put your hands on your wife, your little girl or anybody else in this camp one more time, I will not stop next time. Do you hear me?” Shane said dangerously. “Do you hear me?!”

“Yes,” Ed slurred weakly.

“I’ll beat you to death, Ed,” Shane punched and kicked him one more time before really stopping.

Shane stepped away from the man as a crying Carol went to her husband’s side, saying sorry over and over again. She really was abused badly if she felt it was her fault he got beaten. Shane panted as he looked at them all. The women didn’t know what to say and just stared at Shane. Harry nodded at him. Shane ran his hand over his head as he walked away.

Harry watched the older man leaving. He turned to Andrea, “I’m going to talk to Shane.”

She nodded as Harry grabbed his laundry basket, before following the other man’s track. He found Shane near the woods. The man clearly was in hurry or maybe he just vented the rest of his frustration by walking quickly.

“Shane!” Harry called him.

The man turned around and looked at him. He didn’t exactly glare but it was close. Then he must’ve seen something because the look in his eyes softened a bit.

“How’s your face?” he asked.

“What? Oh, it’s nothing. Ed hit like a woman. I barely felt anything,” Harry waved off his concern.

Shane snorted. “Yeah, tell that to your reddening cheek,” he said.

Harry looked at him. “I saw your fight with Lori.”

The look in Shane’s eyes turned cold. “We’re not fighting.”

“Argument, then,” Harry said, “And you beat Ed up more for your frustration than anything.”

“You’re the one who kicked him to me,” Shane shot back.

“Yeah, well, I thought you would appreciate the chance. You were so tense I was almost sure you were a statue. In fact, you still are.”

Shane didn’t reply.

“Wanna talk about it?” Harry asked.

“There’s nothing to talk about!” Shane snapped.

“Well, you’ve been really tense and angry since I met you. Your hostility when I arrived here has more to do with your anger and frustration at something, than wariness towards a stranger. And it got worse after your argument with Lori. I think keeping all of that anger inside isn’t good for you.”

“What do you know? You don’t know anything!”

“You’re right. But isn’t it easier to talk to a stranger than to someone you know, and who knows you in return? Keeping all of that anger inside could get you and everyone else killed, especially with the way the world is now. Believe me, I know. I’ve been there. In fact, I got my godfather killed because of that,” Harry added softly.

Shane looked at him in surprise.

“It’s not the zombies, don’t you worry about that. It’s a long time ago. Look, I don’t know what is it between you and Lori but if you want to talk to someone…you know…I won’t judge you.”

With that, Harry walked past him back to the camp. He could feel Shane staring at his back all the way up.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick and the others arrived at the city. They stopped the truck just at the outside of it on train tracks; they were going to have to walk their way from there, Glenn insisted and he was the one who knew the layout of the city the most.

They discussed about which to get first, the weapons bag or Merle, to Daryl’s anger. Glenn suggested going to Merle first since he was closest. They reached the department store with no problem, but they kept up their guard because the last time they were there, the walkers had already managed to break their way in. They saw a walker on the ground floor, which Daryl shot with his crossbow without hesitation.

They slowly made their way up the building, without encountering any more walkers.

When they reached the rooftop, though, they frowned as the door wasn’t chained and locked like T-Dog said. Rick pushed it open. Merle wasn’t anywhere in sight.

“Merle! Merle!!” Daryl called loudly.

The rooftop was empty.

And there on the ground near the place Rick cuffed the man to, the handcuff was still there and under it was a cut off hand. The implication of the scene sank into their minds. Everyone watched with guilt as Daryl screamed his denial.

“NO!”

**~ To be continued ~**


	4. Chapter 03

Harry was inside the RV packing up his things. Dale had spared a space for his bag and said that he could sleep in his sleeping bag on the floor of the RV, until they can get an extra tent for him on the next supply run. Harry didn’t really need the space. Almost all of his personal things were in the trunk that was disguised as a pendant around his neck. He could transfigure a tent for himself, but they didn’t know about that and Harry didn’t want to expose his magic until he knew it was the right time, and the right thing to do.

Shane was sitting on the RV steps. Once in a while, Harry would steal a glance at him and the older man would look back when he felt it. When that happened, Harry would look away or outside the RV window, pretending to check on Andrea and Amy who were down the stream again, fishing.

Speaking of which, he didn’t see them down there. Maybe they’d already finished.

Harry didn’t know what prompted him to offer Shane an ear to listen, if he wanted to talk about his problems. He offered anyway, but he didn’t know why he did it. There was just something about the man that pulled him in.

“Oh, Baby, would you look at that?” he heard Morales say excitedly.

He peeked outside the window to see Amy and Andrea coming back, with two bunches of fish between them. They were grinning proudly.

“Hey, check it out!” Morales said laughingly as he jumped up to greet them. Andrea handed him the fish. Lori was clapping at them, her eyes wide with amazement. “Ladies… because of you, my children will eat tonight. Thank you.”

“Thank Dale,” Andrea said as Amy also handed the other bunch to Morales. “It’s his canoe and gear.”

Everyone was smiling happily, sure that they would not be hungry tonight. Not that they would, what with Harry’s own contribution added to their supplies.

“Mom, look! Look at all the fish,” Carl exclaimed in awe. “Whoa!”

“Yeah, whoa. Where did you two learn to do that?” Lori asked.

“Our dad.”

“Can you teach me how to do that?” Carl asked.

“Sure, I’ll teach you all about nail knots and stuff,” she replied then added to Lori, “If that’s okay?”

“You won’t catch me arguing,” Lori said.

“Hey, Dale. When’s the last time you oiled those line reels? They are a disgrace,” Andrea asked the slowly approaching old man. Something was bothering him.

“I, uh…I don’t want to alarm anyone,” Dale said, and managed to alarm them anyway with that kind of opening. Shane stood up at that. “But maybe we have a bit of problem.”  
He turned around and pointed to where Jim was digging something at the higher ground, away from the camp. Harry stepped out of the RV to take in the scene. Suddenly, a cold feeling filled his guts.

Everyone decided to go to see what Jim was doing and maybe ask him some questions. He was digging non-stop, like a madman, when they found him. He either didn’t notice them or was ignoring them on purpose.

“Hey, Jim,” Shane called, “Jim, why don’t you hold up, all right? Just give me a second here, please.”

Jim stopped his digging. “What do you want?”

“We’re all just a little concerned, man. That’s all.”

“Dale said you’ve been out here for hours,” Morales said.

“So?”

“So why are you digging? Are you heading to China, Jim?” Shane laughed. His joke fell short, though.

“What does it matter? I’m not hurting anyone,” Jim replied and started digging again.

“Yeah, except maybe yourself. It’s a hundred degrees today. You can’t keep this up,” Dale argued.

“Sure I can. Watch me!” Jim challenged as he moved faster.

“Jim, they’re not gonna say it, so I will. You’re scaring people. You’re scaring my son and Carol’s daughter,” Lori said.

“They got nothing to be scared of.” Everyone looked at him. “I mean, what the hell people? I’m out here by myself. Why don’t you all just go and leave me the hell alone?”  
Silence.

“We think that you need to take a break, okay? Why don’t you go and get yourself in the shade. Some food maybe. I’ll tell you what, maybe in a little bit I’ll come out here and help you myself,” Shane offered. “Jim, just tell me what it’s about. Why don’t you just go ahead and give me that shovel?”

“Or what?” Jim challenged.

Harry’s attention had drifted off somewhere in the middle of their conversation. He looked at all of the holes. “Are you digging graves?” he asked before he could stop himself.

“What? No!” Shane denied. “No ones digging any graves, okay?”

“Just saying. They remind me of graves…”

“Harry, shut up!” Shane snapped. “Now, Jim, I’m asking you. I’m coming to you and I’m asking you, please. I don’t want to have to take it from you.”

“And if I don’t, then what? Then you’re gonna beat my face in like Ed Peletier, aren’t you?” Then he said loudly, “Y’all seen his face, huh? What’s left of it. See, now that’s what happens when someone crosses you.”

“That was different, Jim,” Shane said.

“You weren’t there,” Amy spoke up, “Ed was out of control. He was going to hurt his wife. Hell, he hurt Harry.”

“That is their marriage. That is not his,” Jim pointed to Shane, “He is not judge and jury. Who voted you king boss, huh?”

“Jim, I’m not here to argue with you, all right? Just give me the shovel, okay?” Shane approached him but Jim avoided him.

“No, no, no…”

“Just give me the…Jim!”

Jim lashed out. He pushed Shane away and swung the shovel at him. Shane ducked out of the way and then tackled him to the ground. Jim was shouting about Shane not having any right to do what he was doing. Shane straddled him and held his arms behind his back, all the while reassuring the man that no one was going to hurt him, that everything was all right.

“That’s a lie. That’s the biggest lie there is,” Jim said softly as his hands were cuffed. “I told that to my wife and my two boys. I said it a hundred times. It didn’t matter. They came out of nowhere. There were dozens of ’em.”

Everyone was transfixed with his story.

“Just pulled ‘em right out of my hands. You know, the only reason I got away ‘cause the dead were too busy eating my family,” he finished softly, looking like he was going to pass out soon.

Everyone stood in horrified silence. Harry felt pity for the man; at least Harry didn’t have to watch. He just woke up and found the ghosts of his family waiting for him.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Daryl was furious as he took in the sight of his brother’s hand and blood. The older man had managed to reach Dale’s tools that were left behind on the last supply run, and cut his hand off.

Daryl whirled around with a growl with his crossbow aiming at T-Dog. Rick responded by aiming his gun at his head; T-Dog didn’t step back from the weapon. He just looked Daryl in the eyes. He understood Daryl was angry with him, and he deserved it too. Because of him, his brother lost his right hand and only God knows whether he was still alive or not.

They stood in tense silence.

“I won’t hesitate. I don’t care if every walker in the city hears it,” Rick warned.

Daryl was silent for a while. He was still angry but he was taught to survive above all since he was a kid. He lowered his weapon. Finding his brother was more important than this. Rick lowered his gun as well.

“You got a do-rag or something?” Daryl asked, looking at T-Dog.

T-Dog gave him a bandana, and Daryl wrapped his brother’s hand with it, storing it in Glenn’s backpack. The younger man stood silently with a grimace, imagining a hand in his backpack.

Then they made their way down the building again, tracking the trail Merle might’ve left behind. They found trails of blood and walkers. Daryl was proud and impressed with how his brother took down the walkers, one-handed, bleeding and in pain; he stated so. Rick wasn’t as optimistic as him about Merle being all right, though.

They found a kitchen where a gas stove was lit and evidence that Merle had cauterized the stump of his arm to stop the bleeding. Everyone’s heart shuddered at the pain they can imagine the man experienced.

Daryl was smug, though. He loved his brother. The man might be a big bastard to everyone and even to Daryl, but the man had protected him most of the time since they were kids, taught him everything he knew, and now everyone could see for themselves what a tough guy his brother was. No bastard could stand that kind of pain and ordeal if they were not a real man. He couldn’t help but felt worried, though.

“Told you he was tough,” Daryl said. “Nobody can kill Merle but Merle.”

“Don’t take that on faith. He’s lost a lot of blood,” Rick reminded him.

“Yeah? Didn’t stop him from busting out of this death trap,” Daryl said, pointing at the broken window in the corner.

“He left the building? Why the hell would he do that?” Glenn asked incredulously.

“Why wouldn’t he? He’s out here alone, as far as he knows, doing what he’s got to do. Surviving,” Daryl said.

Rick looked out the window. There was a staircase nearby, so at least the man didn’t jump to his death.

“You call that surviving? Just wandering out in the streets, maybe passing out? What are his odds out there?”

“No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks!” Daryl snapped. “You couldn’t kill him. Ain’t so worried about some dumb dead bastard.”

“What about a thousand dumb dead bastards? Different story?” Rick asked.

“Why don’t you take a tally? Do what you want. I’m gonna go get him.”

Daryl was sick of them talking like they were trying to convince him his brother was dead. Rick stopped him.

“Daryl, wait.”

“Get your hands off me! You can’t stop me!”

“I don’t blame you,” Rick said sympathetically. “He’s family. I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel.”

Daryl was silent.

“He can’t get far with that injury. We could help you check a few blocks around, but only if we keep a level head,” Rick said again, looking him in the eyes.

“I could do that,” he replied.

Rick turned to the other two men. T-Dog shook his head.

“Only if we get those guns first,” T-Dog stressed. “I’m not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?”

Everyone can accept that.

So they made another plan to get the guns. Glenn’s idea, again. Only it was so crazy even Daryl was against it. He managed to convince them, though, after he explained everything in detail. Rick was impressed at his tactical thinking. Again.

“Hey, kid, what’d you do before all this?” Daryl asked.

“Delivered pizzas. Why?” Glenn looked confused.

Nobody replied as they found themselves speechless.

The plan didn’t go as smoothly as they wanted. A teenager appeared out of nowhere behind Daryl who, of course, responded by aiming his weapon at the kid. The kid started shouting until Daryl hit him. Another two thugs appeared with baseball bats and started to hit Daryl, driving him to the ground. That was when Glenn found them.

Long story short, Glenn was kidnapped by the thugs, though the weapon bag, thankfully, was dropped by him in surprise. Rick and T-Dog arrived from their post a little too late; the thugs had already driven off. Daryl managed to shoot one in the ass with an arrow, though, before he was forced to hold the fence door to keep walkers out. The teenager from earlier was still moaning miserably on the ground.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry watched from his place on the RV steps as Shane and Dale walked to where Jim was tied to a tree. Shane spoke to him, and then gave him a cup of water from the bucket in his hands, before pouring some over his head. Lori and Carol were teaching the children at a nearby table. They spoke some more. Then Shane walked back to the camp with the children.

“What’s up?” Harry asked when they got closer.

Shane paused. “We’re, uh…going to clean the fish for dinner.”

“Cool! Let me help,” Harry jumped to his feet.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I don’t have anything to do here. Besides, I’ve been working in the kitchen since I was old enough to reach the stove with a stool. I’ll cook you guys some treats as a thank you for letting me join your group,” he decided then.

“Okay,” Shane nodded.

They spent the next hours cleaning the fish, teasing the children with fish guts, having a food fight with the guts. By the end of it, Shane was relaxed enough to laugh with them. Meanwhile, Morales finished building up rocks around the campfire, when Harry walked up to him and the others with the fish in a cool box.

“I, uh, built up the rocks all around. See? So the flames can be a little higher and have ‘em be hidden,” he said proudly.

“Perfect,” Harry said, “Then we’ll have grilled fish tonight. My treat.”

“You cook?” Morales asked.

“Yes. Since I was five. So you can be confident about the taste. You’ll like it,” Harry promised.

“Who would let a five year old to go anywhere near fire?” Lori asked incredulously.

“My relatives. Since the ungrateful orphan freak of their nephew had to earn his keep sooner or later. Of course, I started small. Like just keeping an eye on the pan to make sure the food didn’t burn, or toasting some bread,” Harry shrugged uncaringly.

Heavy silence filled the air. Harry didn’t notice or maybe he didn’t care. It wasn’t like it was that big of a deal. He always shared bits of information about his relatives to people and no one ever reacted or said anything. Hell, when Ron told Molly about the bars on his window, she only responded with how grateful Ron should be that she didn’t do the same even though she was considering it after their actions that morning.

“You what?”

He turned around to see Shane walk up to them with Carl and Jim at his side. An unpleasant expression carved on his face.

“Hey, come on here. Let’s cook these babies,” Harry invited.

Everyone winced.

“Don’t say it like that, please,” Jacqui said grimacing.

“Sorry. Bad choice of words,” Harry winced.

The women watched as Harry worked diligently near the fire. Carol helped by cutting the herbs and mushrooms they found in the woods. Half a dozen cans of beans and soup were heating up nicely on the fire, followed by a dozen fish. Harry chewed on the herbs to test the flavor before nodding in approval, throwing some of it on the grilling fish. The herbs gave out an enticing smell that had everyone drooling.

He could feel Shane’s eyes on him all the time. It made Harry’s heart, which was on the way to freezing with all of the events of the last few months, raced. He ignored it and kept working on the fish.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

They dragged the kid back to the building to interrogate him. Who was he? Who were those men that took Glenn? Where were they going to take him?

The kid refused to say anything. The only thing he said was insult to Merle’s name, which prompted Daryl to threaten and scare him with Merle’s dismembered hand, without telling him whose it was of course. The kid was so freaked out he finally talked.

He brought them to a complex of abandoned building almost outside of the city. The man that led the gang was named Guillermo or G as his thugs called him. Rick stated his intention for prisoner exchange, the kid for Glenn. G rebuffed his offer and told Rick to come back either ready to hand over the guns, or locked and loaded for a fight. He even showed them Glenn being held by two of his men, ready to be dropped from the edge of the roof.

They were left speechless.

In the end, after more discussion, they decided to go in gun blazing to get Glenn back, in order to keep the guns, only to be stopped by the appearance of Felipe’s, one of the thugs, grandmother before anything could start.

They then found out that these “thugs” were nothing more than big softies that were guarding a hidden nursing home. The staff took off and left the old people to die, including some of the thugs’ family, like Felipe’s grandmother. Glenn wasn’t even tied up, let alone being eaten by “the hounds from hell”, which turned out to be tiny Chihuahuas.

“Could I have a word with you?” Rick motioned G to the side. “You’re the dumbest son of a bitch I ever met. We walked in there ready to kill every last one of you.”

“Well, I’m glad it didn’t go down that way,” G admitted.

“If it had, that blood would be on my hands,” Rick said.

“Mine too. We’d have fought back. Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had to. Protect the food, the medicine…what’s left of it. These people, the old ones…the staff took off, just left ‘em here to die. Me and Felipe were the only ones who stayed,” he told Rick. The officer looked around.

“What are you? Doctors?”

“Felipe’s a nurse…a special care provider. Me…I’m the custodian.”

Rick sighed. They moved to a room to talk in private, away from sensitive ears and more comfortably.

“What about the rest of your crew?” Rick asked.

“The vatos trickle in to check on their parents, their grandparents. They see how things are and most decide to stay. It’s a good thing too. We need the muscle. The people we’ve encountered since things fell apart, the worst kind…plunderers, the kind that take by force.”

“That’s not who we are,” Rick said.

“How was I to know? My people got attacked and you show up with Miguel hostage…appearances,” G shrugged.

“Guess the world changed,” T-Dog muttered.

“No. It’s the same as it ever was. The weak get taken,” G said sagely. “Although…there was a decent man we met more than a month ago…we were surrounded by the geeks and without him, we would’ve died. He was bitten in a couple of places…we were forced to end him…save him from the pain, the fever and the coming back…such a shame. He said he was a doctor. Could’ve helped us more here. Green eyes…black hair…most of us still remember Harry…”

“Wait, Harry?” Glenn asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“We just got a new guy. Black hair and green eyes, said his name is Harry Potter-Black. What’s your Harry’s full name?”

G frowned. “Dunno. I only know ‘Harry’. We only got to talk for…five minutes or so before he offers to be distraction and meet us at an appointed place. Besides, no way he’s the same Harry. I shot him myself, in the head. One of my guys got him in the chest. Still have nightmares from it…having to end a good man like him…”

“Never mind, then,” Glenn muttered.

“So we do what we can here. The vatos work on those cars, talk about getting the old people out of the city. But most can’t even get to the bathroom by themselves, so that’s just a dream. Still, it keeps the crew busy, and that’s worth something. So we barred all the windows, welded all the doors shut except for one entrance. The vatos, they go out, scavenge what they can to keep us going. We watch the perimeter night and day and we wait. The people here, they all look to me now. I don’t even know why,” G finished.

Rick looked at him with respect. “Because they can,” he told him truthfully.

In the end, Rick decided to leave some of the guns and ammos for G and his people, much to Daryl’s disapproval. They left in peace after that and decided to go back to the camp. There was no time left to look for Merle. When they reached the train tracks, though, they found the truck missing. There was only one person they could think of for taking it.

Merle.

And they feared he was going to take revenge for being left behind back to the camp.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Wrapping paper, color tissue, anything?” Andrea asked.

“Seriously?” Dale asked as he just came in to find Andrea rummaging around the kitchen area of the RV.

“How can you not have any?” she complained.

“Had I been informed of the impending apocalypse I’d have stocked up,” Dale replied.

“It’s Amy’s birthday tomorrow. I’ve been marking days on the calendar just to make sure,” Andrea explained, showing him the mermaid necklace.

Dale examined it.

“You don’t give a gift unwrapped.”

“Deep breath,” he smiled, placing the necklace in her hands. “I’m sure I’ll find something here.”

She smiled in anticipation as she waited patiently. There was a knock, and she turned to the side to see Harry standing in front of the RV.

“Seriously? You really just knocked?” Andrea asked amused.

Harry shrugged. “It’s not my car and there are people in here…including the owner…habit, I guess.”

“Do you need something too, Harry?” Dale asked.

“Just a couple of plates, if you don’t mind,” Harry requested. “What did you mean by ‘too’?”

“Andrea here needs something to wrap Amy’s birthday gift,” Dale said.

“Dale!” Andrea hissed.

“I can keep that secret if you prefer,” Harry understood the meaning of her reaction. “I think I have something you can use in my bag.”

“You got wrapping paper supply too?” she asked incredulously.

“Of course not. Don’t be silly. It’s just something that I happen to always forget to get rid of. It’s only a boring brown wrapping paper, though. It’s from post package.”

“That would do. Thank you,” Andrea smiled.

Harry hummed. He got the wrapping paper from his bag and gave it to her. Dale handed him the plates afterwards. He watched her pulling out a necklace.

“Is that a mermaid?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah,” Andrea smiled. “Amy…she’s always been into fantasy stuff…. magic, dragons, mermaids…she’s still like a kid in many ways.”

Harry smiled a little. “It’s beautiful… I always think of mermaids as hideous, though… you know, with sharp teeth, webbed fingers, spear in hands, sunken eyes and cheeks, high-pitched screech that could make your ears bleed…”

Dale chuckled at the descriptions while Andrea looked disturbed.

“That’s…morbid,” she muttered. “You’ve got weird imagination, Harry.”

He shrugged, stepping out of the car with the plates in his hands. An hour later, dinner was ready. The sky was already dark, and Rick and the others weren’t back yet. Still, everyone dug in heartily and groaned and moaned in satisfaction. Harry smirked at them.

“God, Harry… This is good,” Dale said.

“Real good,” Andrea said. “You sure you’re a doctor, not a chef?”

“You’re a doctor?” asked Lori in surprise.

“But you look so young!” Jacqui exclaimed.

“A man with many talents,” Morales gave him a toast.

“Thanks,” Harry chuckled.

Dinner went a little uneventful after that. Everyone was just enjoying the food and laughing at some jokes.

“Pass the fish, please,” Sophia asked politely.

“Here you go,” Carol gave some to her.

“Man o man, that’s good. Whew!” Shane sighed as he took another bite of his fish. Harry felt a little proud for the appreciation and satisfaction the man showed.

“I’ve got to ask you, man. It’s been driving me crazy,” Morales said after awhile.

Harry was still eating when he felt everyone’s eyes on him. “What?” he asked around a mouthful of beans.

“What you said earlier… did your relatives really make you… did they treat you…”

“Are you sure this is a conversation to have with dinner?” Lori asked.

“It’s okay,” Harry told her, “It’s not bad or anything. I’ve told others, and if no one hasn’t blown a gasket yet then it must not be that bad, right?”

“So?”

“Well, I was orphaned at fifteen months old. I was sent to my mom’s sister and her husband to be raised. My dad’s side of family was already dead, you see. So there was no other choice. Anyway, they saw me as a freak, a stain on the picture of their perfect family, not that I ever took any pictures with them. I was mostly ignored. And when I reached five, they started giving me chores to do, a little slap to the head here and there when I didn’t finish my chores in time, or doing better than their son in school. That’s all.”

“That’s all? That’s awful!” Amy protested.

“Is that why you defended Carol earlier? They sound like Ed to me,” Andrea said.

“Why would someone do that to a child?” Lori looked horrified.

Harry shrugged, “Jealousy can get you anywhere, I guess.”

When it earned him another inquiring look, he explained.

“My mom and my aunt were sisters, but anyone who looked at them wouldn’t guess it. Mom was beautiful while Aunt Petunia looked kinda plain, almost skeletal even. Everyone loved mom at first sight, while my aunt faded into background. Mom was smart, got an invitation to a private boarding school for gifted children in Scotland, while my aunt went to a public school in Surrey, England. My grandparents were always so proud of mom and, accidentally, neglected Aunt Petunia as a result. And when my aunt finally felt like she bested my mom by marrying a moderately successful businessman, she found out my mom went and got married to a Lord, complete with a mansion.”

“Ah,” several people nodded understandingly.

“Still doesn’t excuse their treatment of you,” Shane said.

“No, it doesn’t. She didn’t care that her sister died young at terrorists’ hands. She didn’t care that her nephew was innocent. All she cared about was taking her anger and bitterness out on something, someone…and since my mom wasn’t available, I was the next best thing. It also doesn’t help that they couldn’t send me away since they were afraid it would affect their image. So they made sure I grew up miserable. My uncle had a grudge against my dad, you see… I found out later that my dad was a prankster, and he played a prank on Uncle Vernon at my parents’ wedding day as part of the entertainment. Not a good idea with a prideful man like my uncle. Since people in the neighborhood never knew my parents, they spread rumors that my parents died in a drunken car crash, that my mom was a slut, my dad was an unemployed drunk and I was a delinquent. I grew up believing them. It wasn’t until I was eleven and got the same invitation to my parents’ school that I know the truth.”

Heavy silence fell upon them.

“And you said it’s not that bad? Didn’t anyone do anything? Suspect anything wrong with your relatives?” Dale asked indignantly.

Harry shook his head. “Everyone believed them. And what they did was nothing compared to being the target of the leader of a terrorist group, believe me.”

“Wait, you said you’re from England. Is the terrorist group you’re telling us about the one that was responsible for the bombings and killings in the nineties in England?” Dale asked.

“Yes. They were also responsible for the ones in the seventies and early eighties too, they came back again fourteen years later. They were stopped and their organization was destroyed when I was seventeen, though. They attacked my school to get me.”

“Why were you a target?”

“My family along with other old families were targeted for political reasons. Some of the old families had already died out from assassinations, or fighting the terrorists. Only a very few of us were left. I’m the only one left from the Potter Family; they knew I support my parents’ views and I would be a problem for them when I finally become Lord Potter. Even though my family was only one family, the Potters had a very high standing and influence in the government. So they decided to deal with me before I became a real threat to their cause.”

“You said your name is Potter-Black,” Shane pointed out.

“Yep. My godfather also came from an old family. The Black family. The Blacks were just as powerful as my family but they always supported the terrorists’ cause. Crazy, I know. Except for my godfather. He was the white sheep of the family. His parents threw him out when he was sixteen because of this, and my dad’s parents took him in. The thing is the Blacks never officially disowned Sirius, so as the oldest son he was still the heir. The Blacks died out later and left only my godfather. Sirius never took the lord title because he was a wanted criminal, but he could still name an heir. Since he was childless, Sirius named me his heir. He died later when I was fifteen, in a fight to save me when my friends and I were lured into a trap by the terrorists. So I am a Lord to two powerful old families, and that made me an even bigger target because they knew I would turn the Black family’s support from the terrorists to my own side.”

“Wait, Sirius Black? Your godfather was Sirius Black?” Dale looked surprised. “Wasn’t he…”

“The mass murderer that was convicted for the betrayal of the Potters, a betrayal that resulted in their deaths and thirteen other people in a terrorist bombing in early eighties, and escaped after spending twelve years in prison? Yes, he was. But what no one knows is he was innocent. It wasn’t him who was responsible for the deaths. He was never given a trial because the head of the law department at the time had a big grudge against Sirius’ family, and he wanted to further his own career in politics; he threw my godfather into prison and made sure all of the evidence of foul play was gone. Not that it mattered; his own son was found to be a member of the terrorist group soon after. Sirius only escaped after he caught a glimpse of the real culprit in a paper by coincidence, and went after him because it turned out that Pettigrew, the real culprit who was also part of the terrorist group, was living near me all the time back then.”

Morales whistled. “And you were just a child at the time? Whoa, sounds like your life was very eventful, man.”

“Yeah, and now I have the zombie apocalypse to add to the list,” Harry grinned cheerfully, which really looked out of place with how heavy the topic was.

“Okay, the topic is getting way too heavy here,” Jacqui said.

“Yeah, let’s change the topic,” Carol suggested.

“You keep calling them zombies,” Shane smirked in amusement.

“What? They’re zombies! What do you call them?”

“Walkers,” everyone answered.

“Huh? I guess it fits,” Harry nodded.

Amy placed her plate down and got up.

“Where are you going?” Andrea asked.

Amy looked vaguely annoyed at her. “I have to pee,” she rolled her eyes, “Jeez, you try to be discreet around here…”

Everyone laughed as she walked to the RV.

Suddenly, Harry felt a chill ran down his spine. He lost his smile and looked around at their surroundings, alert. Shane caught his wary state.

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just…I feel like…” Harry shook his head. “Nah, it’s probably nothing.”

“Let me give you some advice about this brand new world, bud. If you feel something’s wrong, it probably is,” Shane said.

“Now you just jinxed it,” Harry shot him an annoyed look.

Just then, Amy stepped out of the RV complaining, “We’re out of toilet paper?”

Harry turned to her just in time to see a zombie… er… a walker walk up to her and bite her on the arm. She screamed at the same time as him.

“Amy!!”

Everyone turned around in surprise. Suddenly, walkers came out of the darkness from everywhere. Everyone jumped to their feet in surprise and some even shouted, crying out in panic.

“Mom!” Carl cried.

“Lori, get him down!” Shane instructed as he lifted his shotgun that never left his side, shooting at every walker he could see.

Carol was holding Sophia trying to get away. Jim got a baseball bat and began to bash the walkers’ heads into pulps, and Morales began to shoot as soon as he got his rifle. Harry ran to Amy, shouting in rage as she was bitten mercilessly on the neck, blood pouring out freely. Andrea also ran up screaming in denial, only to fall on her backside as Jim pushed her out of the way and bashed the walker away from Amy.

Harry landed on his knees at Amy’s side, pressing his hand on her neck as hard as he could to prevent the blood from flowing out as Andrea crawled up to them in hysterics.

“Oh God! Oh my God!”

“Help me…” Amy groaned.

“Oh God, I don’t know what to do,” Andrea cried.

“Here, press on the wound on her neck,” Harry instructed, guiding her hands to the wound. “I’ll go get the med kit. Press it tightly. Don’t let any more blood out.”

“Okay, okay…”

Harry got into the RV and pulled out the box with the medical kits from one of the cupboards. He knew that it was no use to try to save Amy. She was doomed no matter what he did, but he had to try for Andrea’s sake if nothing else. And maybe he could lessen Amy’s pain.

As he grabbed the kit, Harry cursed himself for not thinking about putting up a protection ward. He never had to do it before because it was only him, and this camp had been hidden and safe since these people set it up; it didn’t even cross his mind. Still, the least he could do was put up a detection ward. Being Master of Death had made him careless.  
Rick and the others showed up just as Harry stepped out of the RV. Soon, the walkers were taken care of. Harry watched helplessly as Amy died in her sister’s arms. The first aid kit fell from his hands. He could feel her life slip away.

“Oh, no, no…” Andrea cried, “Amy! Amy!”

“I remember my dream now, why I dug the holes,” Jim said to no one.

Harry looked at him sharply in surprise. Was the man a seer? Just then, he saw something shimmer in the air. He saw Amy’s ghost looking at her sister sadly. She looked up and their eyes locked. She looked surprised before smiling at him.

“Please take care of her for me…” Amy pleaded.

Harry nodded. “I’ll try,” he whispered.

And then she faded away, moving on to the afterlife, leaving everyone to watch in sorrow as Andrea cried out her grief. Everyone felt helpless at the loss of the members in their group.

**~ To be continued ~**


	5. Chapter 04

Morning came, but the world seemed just as dark as the darkest night to everybody in the camp. Andrea hadn’t move from her sister’s side all night, just staring at her dead and bloody face lovingly, as if she could bring her back to life somehow.

Harry had only been with this group for twenty four hours and already he felt attached to them and felt their grief. He never thought he would feel like this again after ten years of friendless life and months of being truly alone, feeling nothing but deaths everywhere. He never thought he could feel attachment with anyone again, but here he was. It seemed that he hadn’t lost his ‘saving people thing’ as Hermione often called it.

Lori watched Andrea sadly before making a decision.

“Andrea,” Lori called as she squatted beside her.

Andrea didn’t respond.

“I’m so sorry,” Lori said again, “She’s gone. You got to let us take her. We all cared about her and I promise we’ll be as gentle as we can.”

Still nothing.

Lori sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder before go back to her place.

The men were handling their loss by gathering all of the walkers’ bodies to be burn. Daryl made sure that they were a hundred percent dead first by shoving a pickaxe to their brains. Rick walked over to where Harry sat with Shane, Carol, Lori and Dale. It seemed like he finished his report to that Morgan guy that saved his life.

“She still won’t move?” Rick asked the obvious.

“Won’t even talk to us,” Lori told. “She’s been there all night. What do we do?”

“Can’t just leave Amy like that. We need to deal with it same as the others,” Shane said.

“I’ll tell her how it is.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Harry said but Rick had already moved.

“Andrea…”

And just like Harry said, it was not a good idea because as soon as Rick called her name, Andrea pulled out a gun and pointed at him. Rick froze. Shane stood up in case he needed a back up.

“I know how the safety works,” she said with a flat tone and determined gaze.

“All right. Okay. I’m sorry,” Rick backed away. “I’m sorry.”

“Told ya,” Harry mumbled under his breath.

Andrea lowered her gun then turned back to Amy. Daryl looked at them incredulously.

“Y’all can’t be serious. Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl’s a time bomb!” Daryl exclaimed.

“What do you suggest?” Rick asked.

“Take the shot. Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance.”

“No. For God’s sakes, let her be,” Lori said.

“Lori’s right,” Harry said. “She’s grieving. Besides, when Amy turns, she’ll only be one walker. There are many of us. Let her be for now.”

Shane and Rick shared a look before shrugging. Daryl scoffed at them in disbelief and left. He called out to Jim to get some work done. He and Morales pulled the body of their member towards the fire. Glenn frowned at them.

“What are you guys doing? This is for geeks. Our people go over there,” he said pointed to the other direction.

They argued about something. Harry couldn’t hear but it seemed Glenn protested that their people being treated like the walkers.

“We don’t burn them!” Glenn shouted. “We bury them. Understand?”

Harry shook his head. Daryl and Morales looked displeased at Glenn before moving the body to the other side.

“You reap what you sow,” Daryl said.

“You know what? Shut up, man!” Morales snapped.

“Y’all left my brother for dead. You had this coming!” the redneck shouted, walking off.

Harry shook his head again. His eyes landed on a fatigued looking Jim and he furrowed his brow. Something was off with him. He concentrated with his eyes to see a reaper looming over the man.

“Oh, Jim…,” he whispered to himself sadly.

“What?” Shane looked at him.

“It’s Jim…”  
Shane looked over to where Jim and Jacqui were. Suddenly she stepped away from Jim.

“A walker got him. A walker bit Jim,” Jacqui announced.

All of the men, except Harry, walked over to him, surrounding him and demanding Jim to show them the bite to make sure. Harry sighed and shook his head again at the commotion as T-Dog grabbed Jim from behind. Daryl pulled his shirt up to show the circular teeth mark of the bite.

Jim kept saying “I’m okay” over and over again as if he said it enough times then it would come true. Everyone, Harry and Andrea excluded, just looked at him as if he was already a walker.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“I say we put a pickaxe in his head and the dead girl’s and be done with it,” Daryl suggested uncaringly.

“Is that what you’d want if it were you?” Shane shot the question.

“Yeah, and I’d thank you while you did it,” Daryl shot back.

“I hate to say it…I never thought I would…but maybe Daryl’s right,” Dale added.

“Jim’s not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog,” argued Rick.

“I’m not suggesting…”

“He’s sick,” Rick cut him off, “A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?”

“The line’s pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers or them to be,” Daryl stated.

“What if we can get him help? I heard the CDC was working on a cure,” Rick suggested.

“I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell,” Shane said.

“What if the CDC is still up and running?”

“Man, that’s a stretch right there.”

“Why?” Rick challenged, “If there’s any government left, any structure at all, they’d protect the CDC at all costs, wouldn’t they? I think it’s our best shot. Shelter, protection…”

“Okay, Rick, you want those things, all right? I do too, okay? Now if they exist, they’re at the army base. Fort Benning.”

“That’s a hundred miles in the opposite direction,” Lori realized.

“That’s right. But it’s away from the hot zone. Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it’ll be heavily armed. We’d be safe there.”

“The military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun. We’ve all seen that,” Rick argued. “The CDC is our best choice and Jim’s only chance.”

“Even if that’s true,” Harry spoke up, “Jim won’t make it.”

Everyone turned to him. He didn’t meet their gaze as he kept looking at the reaper. The others shivered as his emerald eyes almost glowing. Harry didn’t notice. Then he met their gaze.

“He won’t make it,” he said with absolute certainty.

“No,” Rick looked at him, shaking his head. “You don’t know that. You go looking for aspirin; do what you need to do.”

Harry scoffed as he walked off, “Who died and make you boss?”

“And you call yourself a doctor?” Rick called after him. Harry gave him the finger.

“Never said I wouldn’t help him; just said that it’s hopeless,” Harry shrugged.

“Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!”

Daryl ran and took a swing of his pickaxe. But Rick also moved just as fast and pointed his gun at the redneck’s head.

“Hey, hey, hey! We don’t kill the living.”

“Now that’s quite hypocritical, isn’t it?” Harry commented, nodding at the gun.

Shane stepped between Jim and Daryl. “We may disagree on some things, not on this. You put it down.” He motioned at the pickaxe, “Go on.”

Daryl dumped the tool and stomped off angrily. Shane picked it up, looking at Harry who shrugged. Rick grabbed Jim.

“Come with me,” he said.

“Where are you taking me?” Jim asked.

“Somewhere safe.”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Daryl kept on working, moving the bodies and making sure their brains weren’t intact. He was about to hit Ed’s head when Carol came into sight. He paused. She walked around the body, looking at the sorry state her husband ended up in.

“I’ll do it. He’s my husband,” Carol said softly, sniffling.

He respected her wish by handing over the pickaxe and stepping aside. Carol looked like she was going to cry. She hit the pickaxe dead on the side of Ed’s head. The skin was pierced and the skull cracked as the pickaxe hit it, brain matter spilling out. She let out a cry. She swung the pickaxe up and hit him again and again and again. She was sobbing as she did it, thinking about all the pain he had ever gave her and her daughter and now he wasn’t with them anymore, crying over all of the abuse she had suffered. For the first time in years, she let it all go, the pain, the anger, the sadness…She let them out with each hit.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick placed Jim in the RV to rest. He looked at Harry in the eyes before leaving them alone. Harry treated Jim’s wound and bandaged it.

“Sorry I waste your meds and bandages,” Jim said softly.

“Why do you say that?” Harry asked.

“I heard what you said. You think I’m not going to make it,” Jim told him. “I think I’m not going to make it too.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Harry said. “I can always get new supplies without a problem.”

“I wish that officer wouldn’t be so stubborn. I’m sorry he puts you guys in such a difficult place,” Jim said again.

“He’s just clinging to his hopes. Everyone does. His hopes are just a bit more naïve than others. Now save your energy, okay?”

“Why? I won’t make it. You said so yourself.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to make your last moments painful and miserable,” Harry sighed. “Look, I wasn’t saying that to discourage you or to be cruel, okay? I just…Can you keep a secret?”

Jim nodded weakly.

“I can see when people are about to die. I usually just block that sense out because it’s no fun. And I can sense your life slipping little by little,” Harry said.

“You’re not making any sense,” Jim laughed then coughed miserably.

Harry smiled. “Yeah, I know. But…I know what’s waiting for you on the other side, okay? And it’s not bad at all. I’ve been there…well, halfway there at least, but still…it’s not bad.”

“If you say so, you weirdo,” Jim chuckled.

“You have a photo of your family?”

Jim looked pained at the reminder of his family but nodded. He motioned to his shirt. Harry pulled out a wallet from the pocket and found a family picture.

“Can you tell me their names?” Jim told him one by one. “Okay, I never have done this for anyone before because I don’t want them to become dependent on it, on me, and clinging to something that’s already gone. But since I know for sure that you’re going to leave anyway…here, give me your hand. Just don’t…scream or anything, all right?”

Jim watched in confusion as Harry grabbed his hand and then watched in shock and disbelief as the transparent figures of his wife and sons came into view. He paled until he was as white as the walkers. Harry shushed him to prevent him from making any noise that would attract the attention of others in the camp.

“Hello, Jimmy,” his wife said. Her voice was hollow, kind of echoing in the air, but still as lovely as he remembered.

“Daddy,” his sons said.

He choked with tears. “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…”

“It’s not your fault, Jimmy. You did your best,” his wife said again. “We love you.”

“I…love you, too. I miss you…”

“They’re waiting for you, Jim,” Harry said. “You won’t be walking around eating people because as soon as you leave, you’ll be with them. Those walkers are just empty shells and Rick and the others will make sure your body won’t end up like that. So don’t you be afraid, all right?”

Jim nodded, tears running down his face. His eyes never left his family.

“See you later, Daddy,” one of his boys said.

“Later, boys,” Jim choked.

And then they disappeared from view. Jim turned to look at Harry.

“Who are you?”

Harry smiled. “I’m just…Harry.”

“Thank you. Thank you, Harry,” Jim said weakly.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry stepped out of the van at the same time Amy’s body woke up as a walker. He watched as Andrea apologized to Amy for never being there for her. Amy got up and Andrea helped her. Everybody in the camp noticed them. He saw Shane and Rick walked up to them with their hands reaching for their guns but they didn’t need to do it as Andrea shot Amy herself after saying she loved her one last time. Harry noticed the mermaid necklace around Amy’s neck and was surprised. That was depressing; dying on the night before her birthday.

He sighed at the somber mood that hovered over the camp. People distracted themselves by preparing to bury their people now that Andrea was ready to let Amy go. Daryl and T-Dog loaded the bodies one by one onto a truck. Rick and Shane went to the upper ground to finish digging the holes Jim had made.

Harry felt somewhat uncertain about burying them. Buried or not, those bodies would only contaminate their surroundings. The best option was to burn them.

Daryl drove the truck to the grave site. Harry walked with the others to there. When they approached the site, Daryl was arguing with Rick and Shane about burying their people.

“The Chinaman gets all emotional, says it’s not the thing to do, we just follow him along?” they heard Daryl said. “These people need to know who the hell’s in charge here, what the rules are.”

“There are no rules,” Rick said.

“Well, that’s a problem,” Lori chimed in, “We haven’t had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead. It’s what people do.”

“People also cremate their dead, remember?” Harry commented. “Leaving their bodies like this, buried or not, will just contaminate the area. Even if we leave, what if other survivors come and decide to camp here? Infected and contaminated bodies are best to be burnt to prevent further contamination. We already have enough of those walking around. You want our people’s bodies to be responsible for that?”

Everyone didn’t have anything to say. Daryl looked smug at the support.

“Okay, so we burn them?” Rick asked. “Anyone agree with Harry?”

Jacqui shrugged, “He knows best when it comes to these things, so hell yeah. I agree with him.”

Most of them agreed, including a reluctant Andrea.

“Well, burning them it is, then,” Shane said.

“I’ll get the gas and the match,” Daryl skipped off. He was skipping!

The men began to move the bodies to the holes. The least they wanted to do was to burn them separately in respect. Andrea insisted she was the one to move Amy’s body. Dale wanted to help her but she was stubborn. When Daryl came back, they were ready.

Everyone watched in silence as the bodies burned. Some of them gave prayers to the dead with their respective religions. Harry just wished them best. After it was finished, they went back to the camp.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick and his family were the last ones to leave the gravesite. The smell of the smoke was still strong in the air. Lori was still sniffling lightly. She, like the other women in the group, had cried at the sight of the people burning in the fire. Rick caught her look.

“Burning other people is bad enough, but the thought of one of us…”

She shushed him. Carl turned to them

“Are we safe now, Dad?” he asked with a scared tone, “Now that we’re together?”

Rick almost hit himself for not watching what he was saying with his son in hearing range. He knelt in front of the boy. “I won’t leave again, I promise you that. Not for anything.”

Carl nodded, holding back tears.

“Now, give me a chance to discuss some things with your mom, okay?” he asked.

The boy nodded again with a sniffle. He left them alone.

“Shane blames me for not being here. Do you?” Rick asked.

She didn’t answer. Rick sighed.

“We got guns now. We’re stronger,” he tried to tell her, to assure her.

“And we have fewer people. That makes us weaker,” Lori pointed out. “You want me to say I think you were right? I understand that.” She paused, licking her lips, thinking. “All I can say is that neither one of you is entirely wrong. It’s the best I can do right now.”

Rick didn’t look satisfied, but he knew that she was also right.

“What about the CDC?” he asked.

“Rick…”

“We’re at the ragged edge here. We need relief and we got a sick man who needs help. I don’t know why people can’t see that!”

“Well, look at their faces,” Lori said, forcing a smile. “Look at mine. We’re all terrified. If one of us suggested, based on a hunch, that we head toward that city, you’d have no part of it.”

He frowned at her.

“Tell me something with certainty,” she requested.

He was silent, trying to think of something but failing. He knew what she was trying to say but it was difficult to accept.

“I love you,” he finally said. She gave a teary smile but there was also a light in her eyes that said that she knew she was right and he knew she was right. “That’s…that’s all…that’s all I got…”

She nodded, still smiling and holding back tears.

“I love you too…”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Rick still planning to head for the CDC?” Harry asked as he took a seat across from Shane near the campfire.

Shane sighed. “I don’t know.”

“What you think?”

“I think it’s a bad idea. You?”

“Bad for you guys. Nothing for me.”

“What do you mean by that?” Shane looked confused. “You’re planning to leave already?”

Was that disappointment Harry saw?

“Nah, I’m staying. I just don’t care for me that much. I’m more of the ‘que sera, sera’ kinda guy nowadays.”

“Why would you say that?” Shane looked angry.

“When you have nothing left in your life other than your life, you tend to not care whether you live or not,” Harry said, “My parents and godfather died a long time ago. My friends are dead, my adoptive family is dead, my godson is dead. I got nothing and no one to live for.”

“Then live for yourself,” Shane snapped before he walked off in anger.

Harry looked surprise at the outburst. He watched as Shane went off to talk with Lori near the RV. Rick was inside talking to Jim. The talk didn’t seem to work well, though, seeing the way Lori acted. There was something funny about the way Lori and Shane acted around each other now that he thought about it. Lori was angry with Shane and the man was also angry at something but he didn’t know what. And the way they clammed up when Rick came, Harry suspected they were having an affair.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane stomped off from the new guy in annoyance, but calmed himself once he was in front of Lori, who was sitting on the RV steps. He squatted in front of her as she looked up to meet his eyes.

“I need you to help talk some sense into Rick,” he said.

She looked away and got up.

“Look, this CDC thing, Lori, it’s a mistake,” he said again. She shrugged. Annoyance flared in him. “So you’re backing him?”

“What else would I do? He’s my husband.”

Shane stomped on the jealousy that tried to flare in him. She was still angry and trying to make a point.

“Look, it may be time for you to play the dutiful wife, but you can’t tell me that fixing your marriage is worth putting people’s lives at risk,” Shane said curtly.

“I think folks around here can make up their minds without bringing my marriage into it. It’s a habit you need to break,” she said, anger in her tone.

He looked at her. “I guess I’ll just add it to the list of habits that I’m breaking,” he agreed sarcastically, hinting at their affair. “Whether I like it or not.”

“What habits?” Rick asked as he stepped out of the RV.

“Just talking about my need for a plan, man,” Shane said immediately. “So what is it? Are we leaving or not? Maybe y’all just want to stay here. We could hang some more tin cans.”  
“We can’t stay here. We both know that,” Rick said.

“I was just telling Shane I think we should trust your gut,” Lori interrupted.

Rick turned to her, surprised but pleased with her support. Shane, on the other hand, felt bitter and betrayed. He knew he got no right to feel like that, because Lori was Rick’s wife, but he couldn’t help it.

“Let’s go do our sweep,” he suggested instead.

Rick nodded, still staring gratefully at his wife before turning around and falling into step with his best friend.

“Where are you guys going?” Harry asked as they walked past him with their weapons.

“We’re going to sweep around the area for a bit,” Rick said.

Shane didn’t even spare him a look. Harry felt something tugging in his heart at Shane’s refusal to look at him. The man just walked ahead of his best friend. Did he really get so angry at how uncaring Harry was with his own life? Why did he even care?

They came back later from their sweep with Dale. The old man was giving Shane a look that crossed between suspicious and mistrust. Harry wondered what happened. Shane was pretending he didn’t notice while Rick was genuinely oblivious.

When they discussed about their plan around the fire, Shane had changed his tune and supported Rick’s plan about going to CDC.

“I’ve, uh…I’ve been thinking about Rick’s plan. Now look, there are no…there are no guarantees either way. I’ll be the first to admit that,” Shane began, “I’ve known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning. Okay?”

Everyone was silent. Some were nodding their agreement while the rest was contemplating the decision. Harry just looked at Shane, wondering what had changed his mind. When Shane walked off to his tent, Harry followed him.

“What made you change your mind?” Harry asked.

“Why does it matter to you? You don’t care one way or another,” Shane said, not really answering.

“I just think that you’re not a man that could change his opinion so easily, so what happened in the woods?”

“None of your damn business, okay?” Shane snapped, turning around and glaring at him.

Harry looked him in the eyes. He could see the guilt and fear in his eyes but what for? It was time like this that made Harry wished he had learnt Legilimency. Finally, he gave up and sighed.

“As long as you’re sure you doing it because you think it’s the right thing to do and not because someone else forces you,” he said.

“No one forces me.”

“Or that you force yourself.”

Silence. Harry sighed and exited.

“Where are you going?”

“To sleep. It’s been a long day.”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

But Harry didn’t immediately go sleep. When no one in the camp noticed, he slipped out into the woods. The sky was just beginning to darken but he didn’t want to wait until it was completely dark to place some protection around the camp. He didn’t want last night’s tragedy to happen again.

He carved protection runes on some stones the size of his palm and set them around the camp. Then he connected the runes with a spell and the ward sprung to life. If anything comes anywhere near the camp, the ward would warn him. If it is dangerous, the ward would repel them until everyone woke up and saw the danger lingers outside the ward.

The ward was only temporary; the easiest and fastest Harry could set up at the moment but it would last at least twenty-four hours.

Harry woke up the next morning at the sound of Jim waking up. He was having nightmares. He looked up from his place on the floor.

“You okay, Jim?”

“Yes,” the man rasped from the back room. “Just…it’s just a dream…”

Harry pulled out his duffel bag from a cabin and rummaged around one of the side pockets where he had put a muggle repellent charm on. No one was around so he didn’t hesitate to shove his entire arm into the pocket until he found what he was looking for.

It was a bag of potions he made. Generally, potions were dangerous for muggles. Harry didn’t dare to use it before until he came to America and found out that the magical society was more tolerant towards non-magic. They created weaker potions that had been adjusted so they could be used on muggles. Harry picked a vial of Dreamless Sleep potion. He made a cup of herbal tea and poured three drops of the potion into it.

“Here, drink this and go back to rest,” Harry gave it to Jim.

“What is this?” he asked but accepting the cup anyway.

“Just herbal tea. It will help with the nightmares,” Harry told him.

“Thanks.”

Soon, Jim was asleep again. The man was in pain. It looked like the painkiller he gave him last night didn’t work. Harry considered giving him something to help with the pain but his potions stock was limited and he wouldn’t be able to get some ingredients or the chance to brew new potions anytime soon. Well, he had better save them for others that would need it in the future.

After he stored away his bag, he washed his hands and face and brushed his teeth. He went outside to find Shane was just about to talk with everyone.

“Hey there, Sleeping Beauty,” Dale called.

“Morning, Dale,” Harry greeted.

“Everybody listen up,” Shane called out, “Those of you with CBs, we’re gonna be on channel 40. Let’s keep the chatter down, okay?”

“He’s talking about the walkie-talkies?” Harry asked, half-yawning.

“Yes,” Dale looked amused at him.

“Now, you got a problem, don’t have a CB, can’t get a signal or anything at all, you’re gonna hit your horn one time. That’ll stop the caravan. Any questions?”

Morales stepped forward tentatively. “We’re, uh…we’re not going.”

Everyone looked at him and his family.

“We have family in Birmingham,” his wife said. “We want to be with our people.”

“You go on your own, you won’t have anyone to watch your back,” Shane warned them.

“We’ll take the chance. I got to do what’s best for my family.”

“You sure?” Rick asked.

“We talked about it. We’re sure,” Morales nodded.

“Then you’ll need a weapon,” Harry spoke up.

Everyone watched him as he ran back to the RV and came back with his duffel bag. He pulled out his gun, a box of bullets and his machete to Morales.

“Here,” Harry said. “The box is full. It’ll help you and your family on the way.”

“Thank you, man,” Morales said gratefully. Daryl scoffed at him. Rick looked at him in approval. Shane looked half-approved, half-annoyed. Morales looked around. “Thank you all…for everything.”

“Come here,” Lori came up to Morales’ wife and gave her a goodbye hug. They both looked like they were going to cry.

Morales shook hands with Shane. “Good luck, man.”

“Appreciate it.”

“Yeah.”

They split their food and other supplies for Morales and his family. Harry helped loaded them into their car. Everyone said their goodbyes. Harry saw the little girls exchanging doll as a goodbye gift. Rick came up to Morales.

“Channel 40. If you change your minds. All right?” Rick reminded him.

“Yeah,” Morales nodded.

Five minutes later, they were on the road. Harry drove in his pick-up truck. When they reached the road, Morales and his family went the other way. Shane was on the jeep behind him. For some reason, Harry had the feeling that the other man was staring holes at him. They drove for hours until Dale stopped them because there was a problem with his RV. The thing was hissing and smoking and everything.

“I told you we’d never get far on that hose. I said I needed the one from the cube van,” Dale told Rick.

“Can you jury-rig it?” Rick asked.

“That’s all it’s been so far. It’s more duct tape than hose. And I’m out of duct tape.”

Harry was contemplating on using Reparo but then threw that idea away. There was no way he could explain it to them. He would just let them be for now. Muggles were not helpless. They would come up with something soon.

“I see something up ahead,” Shane informed them, seeing something in the distance with his binocular, “A gas station if we’re lucky.”

Just then, Jacqui came out and told them about Jim, “Y’all, Jim… it’s bad. I don’t think he can take anymore.”

Everyone looked grim.

“Hey, Rick, you want to hold down the fort? I’ll drive ahead, see what I can bring back,” Shane suggested.

“Yeah, I’ll come along too and I’ll back you up,” T-Dog offered.

Rick nodded and went to the RV to see Jim.

“Y’all keep your eyes open now,” Shane instructed. “We’ll be right back.”

Harry leant against the side of the RV where he saw the reaper hovered over a window. “It’s soon, huh?”

The reaper, looked so much like a dementor except it had more humanoid face with pale, almost white eyes, nodded at him. Harry sighed as he leaned his head back. From what little bits he could overhear from their conversation, Jim wanted to be left behind.

“It’s what he says he wants,” Rick said when he informed them later after Shane and T-Dog back. They managed to find something that would help with the RV’s hose.

“And he’s lucid?” Carol asked.

“He seems to be. I would say yes.”

“Back in the camp…,” Dale started, “…when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood. I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer.”

Everyone looked stress with the situation.

“We just leave him here? We take off?” Shane asked, “Man, I’m not sure I could live with that.”

“It’s not your call,” Lori said as she looked at Shane and Rick, “Either one of you.”

It was decided, then. They were going to leave Jim behind. Rick and Shane carried him to a nearby tree on the side of the road. Harry could hear Shane trying to make Jim change his mind but the dying man was determined. People said their goodbyes and left. Daryl looked at Jim. He gave him a nod of respect before leaving. Harry was about to walk away with the others when Jim called him.

“Harry…”

Harry turned around.

“Can you please…one more time…?”

Harry knew what he was asking. Harry shoved his hand into his pocket and walked over to him. He pulled out a very familiar stone out of his pocket.

“I’ll give you something better,” Harry said. He placed the stone in Jim’s hand and closed his hand around it. “This is called the Resurrection Stone. It doesn’t really bring people back to life but it can be use to call upon the spirit of anyone you want. Just hold it and think about your family, anyone you want to see. They will stay with you until you wish otherwise.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry about returning it to me,” Harry cut him off, “The stone will find its way back to its master, me. You just use it until you don’t need it anymore. I don’t want you to be alone on your last moment.”

Jim laughed softly, “You’re really weird, but…thank you, Harry…”

“I’m sorry I can’t do more…”

“No, you’ve done more than enough…Thank you for everything…,” Jim smiled through his pain.

Harry returned his smile sadly. Jim had been the first one he told about a little part of his secret. Even though he would never tell him this soon if he was not dying, Harry still felt sad that he was going to lose someone who knew more about him than others in their group. He leaned over and kissed Jim on his forehead.

“Goodbye, Jim,” he muttered against his skin.

Shane was leaning on the hood of his truck when Harry came back to it. He tilted his head to the side curiously at the prodding look the man gave him.

“I didn’t realize you and Jim were close,” Shane said casually.

“Well, he’s my patient and is about to die. I’m just saying goodbye,” Harry told him confusedly.

Shane hummed. Two minutes later they all were back on the road. Most of them looked at Jim sadly when their car passed by him.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry got out of his truck with a heavy heart. The resurrection stone had come back to him almost half an hour after they left Jim behind. He almost swerved off the road when it appeared between his palm and the steering wheel. He knew what it meant. Jim had passed. Harry sighed and looked up.

The sky had begun to darken when they stopped in front of the CDC headquarters. Rotting bodies and flies were everywhere. The smell was incredible. Harry was surprised the dead didn’t wake up because of it. Or maybe it was the smell that made them stay dead.

They moved in close group, passing by the checkpoint filled with corpses, both military and civilian, and entered the yard. There were more bodies in the yard. Rick approached a shutter door and tried to open it but failed.

“Nothing?” Shane asked as he tried to open it to before pounding on the door.

“There’s nobody here,” T-Dog said.

“Then why are these shutters down?” Rick asked.

“Walkers!” Daryl warned.

Everyone was alert. Daryl cocked his crossbow and shot the walker down.

“You led us into a graveyard!” Daryl spat at Rick.

“He made a call,” Dale defended.

“It was the wrong damn call!” Daryl shouted.

“Just shut up. You hear me? Shut up. Shut up!” Shane pushed him away. He turned to Rick. “Rick, this is a dead end.”

“Where are we gonna go?” Carol cried.

Shane ignored her and focused on his best friend who looked so lost. “Do you hear me? No blame,” he told Rick.

“She’s right. We can’t be here, this close to the city after dark,” Lori said.

Rick looked around and back at the door. Everyone began to panic.

“Fort Benning, Rick… Still an option,” Shane reminded him.

“On what? No food, no fuel. That’s a hundred miles,” Andrea said.

“A hundred twenty-five. I checked the map,” Glenn unhelpfully corrected.

“We need answers tonight, now,” Lori stated forcefully.

Everyone agreed on leaving and began to move, but Harry stopped when he saw Rick pause.

“The camera…,” Rick called them, “It moved.”

“You imagined it,” Dale said.

“It moved,” Rick insisted.

“Rick, it is dead, man,” Shane said. “It’s an automated service. It’s gears, okay? They’re just winding down. Now come on.”

Shane pulled Rick with him but Rick persisted despite everyone’s protests. He pounded hard on the shutter while never leaving his eyes from the camera.

“I know you’re in there. I know you can hear me,” Rick said to the camera as if someone would answer.

Shane tried to talk some sense into Rick. Harry closed his eyes and opened his senses. Other than the ones with him, there was another life…down there…underground.

“There’s someone inside, down there,” Harry said softly.

“What?” Glenn looked at him incredulously, “You don’t believe that.”

“You shut up! Don’t encourage him, Harry!” Shane snapped at him, earning a glare from the wizard.

Harry humphed and looked away. Rick was almost hysteric, scaring Lori who was trying to stop him. Shane had to drag him away when suddenly the shutter slid open and bright light flooded out from behind it. Everyone stopped moving.

**~ To be continued ~**


	6. Chapter 05

Everyone stopped in surprise and disbelief at the open doorway. When the light wasn’t as blinding as before, everyone stepped inside.

“Daryl, you cover the back,” Shane ordered.

“Hello?” Rick’s voice echoed in the seemingly empty building. “Hello?”

“Close those doors,” Shane told him. “Watch for walkers.”

“Hello?” Rick tried again.

Everyone looked around for signs of life or anything at all. They heard the sound of gun cocked and turned around to see a man with an automatic rifle in his hands. They studied each other.

“Anybody infected?” the man asked.

“One of our group was. He didn’t make it,” Rick answered.

“Why are you here? What do you want?”

“A chance.”

“That’s asking an awful lot these days.”

“I know.”

Everyone looked at the man hopefully. The man looked at them one by one. When his eyes landed on Harry, his eyes widened a little. Harry stiffened. Did this man know about him? Was he a wizard? It seemed it was Harry that made him come to a decision in the end.

“You all submit to a blood test. That’s the price of admission,” he said to Rick.

“We can do that,” Rick nodded in relief.

The man lowered his rifle. “You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes, it stays closed,” he instructed.

There was something that bugged Harry at the way the man said it but he ignored it for now. He moved with the others to bring their things from the cars. They ran as fast as they could and carried as much as they could. When they were all inside, they closed the door.

The still unnamed man slid an ID card on the machine beside the door and instructed, “Vi, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here.”

The machine beeped in confirmation. The shutter outside slid to a close and the lights went out. Rick turned to the man and offered his hand.

“Rick Grimes,” he introduced himself.

“Dr. Edwin Jenner,” the man said.

Everyone crammed into the elevator. All weapons pointed upside. The ride downstairs was filled with tensed silence. The only sound was the elevator humming.

“Doctors always go around packing heat like that?” Daryl asked breaking the silence.

“I did,” Harry chimed in.

“You had a small handgun and a machete that you gave away,” Daryl shot back, obviously Harry didn’t count.

Jenner stifled a smile. “There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself,” then he swept a look at them all, “But you look harmless enough.”

Harry coughed, stifling a smile.

“Except you,” Jenner said to Carl with a smile, “I’ll have to keep my eye on you.”

Carl smiled. Harry and Jenner chuckled. That was until Harry caught the displeased look Shane was sending him. The elevator came to a stop. The door opened and they were greeted with a white, empty corridor. They followed Jenner as he walked ahead of them.

“Are we underground?” Carol asked.

“Are you claustrophobic?” Jenner asked turning to look without stop walking.

“A little,” Carol admitted.

“Try not to think about it,” he advised. “Vi, bring up the lights in the big room.”

The corridor ended to a large and dark room. As soon as he finished the order, the room was lit up, showing many computer stations in circular order with a gigantic monitor on one side. Everyone looked around in awe.

“Welcome to Zone 5,” Jenner said to them.

“Where is everybody?” Rick asked. “The other doctors, the staff?”

Jenner stopped in the center of the main station and looked at them. “I’m it. It’s just me here.”

Well, suddenly the hope didn’t look as bright as before, Harry thought dryly. At least they had a shelter now.

“What about the person you were speaking with? Vi?” Lori inquired.

“Vi,” Jenner called out to the air, “Say hello to our guests. Tell them…welcome.”

Suddenly, a computerized voice sounded in the air. “Hello, guests. Welcome.”

“I’m all that’s left.” Jenner watched as some of their expressions fell. “I’m sorry.”

Jenner brought them to a conference room where he asked them to wait before leaving. He came back minutes later with tools to draw their blood. Everyone waited their turns. Harry was the last one. He extended his arms towards the man and watched him work in silence.

“You know who I am, don’t you?” Harry asked softly.

“Yes,” Jenner answered just as softly.

“You’re a wizard?”

“No. My brother and my wife were. She was a Greengrass before she was disowned for marrying a muggle.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Does the other side have any solution?”

“As far as I know, they’re almost extinct, if not already are,” Harry replied softly.

“Sorry to hear that,” Jenner said sincerely, “I don’t suppose I would find something in your blood that can help?”

“Wouldn’t hurt to try,” Harry shrugged as he lifted his arm when Jenner was done. “They don’t know about me…”

“And I won’t tell,” Jenner promised.

“Thanks.”

They turned at the groan that came from Andrea. She looked like she was about to faint.

“Are you okay?” Jenner asked.

“She hasn’t eaten all day,” Jacqui replied, “None of us have.”

Jenner looked at them. Harry shrugged.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

An hour later, everyone was laughing with happiness in the cafeteria. Eating from whatever food supplies they had left and Jenner’s own supplies. He was sitting on the counter away from the group. Harry was sitting beside him.

They were encouraging Carl to drink wine much to Lori’s disapproval and failed because the boy despised the taste. Lori was so proud of him. Then they switched their target to Glenn, laughing as Daryl teased him.

Rick saw them drinking in silence together. He clinked his glass with a spoon, catching everybody’s attention.

“It seems to me we haven’t thanked our host properly,” Rick said standing up.

“He is more than just our host,” T-Dog said raising his glass.

“Hear, hear!”

Everyone raised their glasses.

“Here’s to you, doc. Booyah!” Daryl exclaimed.

“Booyah!” The man shouted.

“Thank you. Thank you, Doctor,” Rick said solemnly.

Jenner nodded and raised his glass with them before drinking. He looked uncomfortable. Harry didn’t blame him. He himself never liked this kind of attention. He patted Jenner on his shoulder. Jenner smiled at him.

Suddenly, Harry froze. His eyes glowed brightly much to Jenner’s surprise before it dimmed again back to normal. Harry schooled his expression but he thought Jenner caught the grief in his eyes. He saw a reaper looming over the man.

“So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc?” Shane said suddenly, drawing everyone’s attention. He sent an unreadable look at Jenner then his eyes landed on Harry’s hand on his shoulder and he almost scowled.

“All the…the other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened. Where are they?” Shane asked again.

“We’re celebrating, Shane,” Rick said to him. “Don’t need to do this now.”

“Whoa, wait a second. This is why we’re here, right?” Shane asked. “This was your move…supposed to find all the answers. Instead we…we found him,” he pointed at Jenner and laughed, “Found one man. Why?”

Harry tightened his hold on Jenner’s shoulder with support while sending a look of disapproval at Shane. The man glared back at him.

“Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left, went off to be with their families,” Jenner told them, “And when things got worse, when the military Condon got overrun, the rest bolted.”

“Every last one?”

“No, many couldn’t face walking out the door. They…opted out.” A pause. “There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time.”

Everyone looked grim now. Some lost their appetite.

“You didn’t leave,” Andrea pointed out. “Why?”

“I just kept working, hoping to do some good,” Jenner replied.

Something was off with his answer, Harry could tell. But he didn’t know what it was about. It probably had something to do with the reaper that was waiting for him.

“Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man,” Glenn groused at Shane.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Jenner guided them to an area they could use to sleep. It was mostly recreational area with offices, changing rooms and showers.

“Most of the facility is powered down including housing, so you’ll have to make do here. The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like. There’s a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy,” Jenner turned around with a smile to the children, “Just don’t plug in the video games, okay?”

Carl and Sophia nodded.

“Or anything that draws power. The same applies…if you shower, go easy on the hot water,” Jenner told the adults.

Glenn looked at T-Dog. “Hot water?”

“That’s what the man said,” T-Dog said with a grin.

They both laughed and moved more quickly than before. Everyone else went to search for their own place to stay for the night. Harry found an office for himself. There was a couch on one side that looked so inviting Harry was tempted to jump on it right then and there. But his body was sticky with sweat and grime from their day long journey. Not to mention he didn’t get the chance to wash since yesterday, so…

He placed his duffel bag on the couch and rummaged around for a towel and fresh clothes. He almost forgot to grab a bar of soap. When he reached the shower, some of the stalls were already filled. He could hear T-Dog’s happy laugh from the changing room. Harry dumped everything on a bench and stripped off his clothes. Peeking inside the shower room, he found two rows of stalls standing back to back in the middle of the room. The women were on one side and the men were on the other. He shrugged and went to the right side where the men were.

Harry walked past a grinning T-Dog, Glenn enjoying the hot water with his eyes closed, and Shane facing the wall with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. He stopped to stare at the muscular back the man presented to him. He blushed when he realized what he was doing and quickly entered the next stall.

Harry sighed in satisfaction when the hot water hit his body. It had been too long since his last hot shower. Carefully, Harry began to wash himself, caressing the soap across his body, making sure he didn’t miss even one spot. Unknowingly, he hummed and moaned softly when he washed his more private area. When was the last time he touched himself?

He could feel himself hardened a bit just from the thought. A flash of the image he had seen earlier came to mind and he was hard before his brain could digest the meaning. Harry groaned out loud. Seriously? He was aroused at the thought of a grumpy man that probably had an affair with his best friend’s wife. With said man in the stall next to him. Harry cursed inwardly when he remembered this. Hopefully, Shane didn’t notice the noise he just made. Then again, the showers’ sounds kind of drowned out everything else.

When he finished his shower and….ehem…his more personal business, the room was empty. Everyone else had already left. He dried himself in the changing room. After he dumped his stuff at the office, he went to search for something to do. He found Dale and Andrea in a toilet. She was crying while Dale was staring at her helplessly.

“What’s the matter?” Harry asked.

“There’s nothing left,” Andrea said hollowly to him.

Harry shut his mouth. She laughed at the look on his face and pointed to Dave.

“See? Even Harry thinks so, Dale,” she said to the old man.

Dale looked at Harry pleadingly. The old man was looking was the wrong person to help him here. Harry had an eternity to face and no matter what he does, he can’t escape. Dale might be worried that Andrea would do something stupid; he might think that suicide was the worst end but for all his eyes never missed anything, he didn’t know everything. Still, he promised.

“Even with nothing left in this world,” Harry said softly, “We still have the choice to enjoy our time before the end comes for us. You guys have each other after all, so not everything is gone, Andrea.”

“You don’t understand. My sister’s dead! My parents probably already died when all of this began! I have nothing left!” Andrea cried.

“No,” Harry said, “When you talk about someone having nothing left, that someone is me. So your sister died being attacked by walkers, so what?”

Dale gasped while Andrea hissed with a furious look in her eyes.

“My parents died for me…because of me…my friend’s parents were tortured into insanity because of something concerning me and they happened to be mistaken for it…my best friend’s sister was kidnapped by a madman who was chasing me…she was only eleven and almost died…my friend died because a madman targeting me and he was in the way…he was only seventeen, he was only in the wrong place at the wrong time…it was a trap for me and only me and I was stupid enough to bring him with me…my godfather died because I was reckless…he died trying to protect me…my honorary godfather and his wife, my schoolmates, my teachers, my best friend’s brother…they all died in a war that was revolved around me. They were given a choice to hand me over, only me…and they would live, no fight, no battle. Instead, they chose to fight and even the youngest students as young as eleven years olds died…all because of me…Now, they all died because of this bloody apocalypse. And I can’t even kill myself to escape all of the nightmares because I just won’t stay dead! At least you never caused the death of hundreds of people for being born!”

Dale and Andrea were stunned speechless.

“Now if you want to be a spoiled little princess whining about the unfairness of life and be supported for it, you’re looking at the wrong person! As much as I want to, never once did I try to kill myself because so many people had sacrificed their lives so I can live. You want to die? Too bad. I won’t let you. Wanna know why? Because I made a promise to Amy.”

“What?”

“She asked me to take care of you and I promised her I would try.”

“Why would she ask something like that to you? That’s like she knew…”

“Think of Amy, Andrea. Think about the life she will never live, about the dreams she will never have and the chances she will never get…How would she feel if she knows you’re willing to throw away everything she wanted so easily? She would want you to live, dream, and fight…if not for yourself, at least do it for her.”

Then, he turned on his heels and stormed away. He didn’t notice the grateful look Dale sent his way or the way Andrea looked away stubbornly. Harry didn’t know where to go. He needed to calm himself. He just kept walking until he came upon a closed door. He barged in and stopped short at the sight in front of him. Lori was sitting on a table and Shane was in front of her, lowered to her eye level. It looked like they were having a serious discussion. The three of them stared at each other as Shane stepped away from Lori.

“Okay. That’s awkward,” Harry said after a moment.

Shane snorted. Lori looked nervous, though. She turned away, picked up her glass, and walked past him, leaving the room.

“Did I just…?” Harry asked.

“No, no…you’re not interrupting anything,” Shane assured him, “I just explained some things to her, things that she’s been angry with me for lately.”

“Oh…,” Harry paused. “I’ll just…leave then…”

“Hey Harry,” Shane called. “That offer you made that first day, is it still on the table?”

Harry blinked. “Yes, of course.”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry watched with his arms crossed leaning against the doorframe as Shane settled on the couch in his office. The man took a gulp from his bottle and sighed. Harry straightened up and closed the door before settled on the corner of the desk.

“So…how many of those have you drunk?” Harry asked eyeing the bottle with distaste. He didn’t have problem with alcohol, he himself enjoyed to drink wine now and then but he distasted drinking for no reason than to get drunk into oblivion.

“Uh…Just this one…,” Shane looked at the bottle in hand with a serious drunk look.

“Well that’s more than enough I think. Everyone drank plenty enough at dinner,” Harry took the bottle from Shane much to the man’s protest. “You want to talk. You won’t be able to do that if you’re too drunk to even say your own name. Now what is it you wanna talk about?”

Shane looked at him then patted the spot on his side. Harry sighed and went to sit on the indicated spot.

“Lori and I…we had an affair before…,” Shane began. The man really wasn’t the type to beat around the bush. “We thought Rick was dead…I told her he was dead…”

“And…?”

“And she’s angry at me because he’s not dead…because that means she was cheating on him with me…she thinks that I lied to her to get in her panties…” Shane chuckled as if that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

“I really thought he was dead…Things were falling apart. They were slaughtering people in the hallways. It was…it was a massacre. There were walkers everywhere. Everybody ran…there were no doctors there, it was just me… Rick was hooked up to machines and I didn’t know what to do. I even took my ear and put it on his chest and I listened for a heartbeat and I did not hear one…”

“Then you’re justified to think he was dead,” Harry said.

“Yeah,” Shane snorted. “Turned out he was not. But I had Lori and Carl to think about. If she thought for one second that he was still alive, she would have to go to him, dragging Carl with her… They would be dead and I couldn’t have that…I owe it to Rick to get them to Atlanta, to keep them safe…”

“You did what you thought was right,” Harry assured him, patting him on the shoulder like he did Jenner.

“And the world ended and we were lost…I just lost my best friend and she lost her husband and we were two adults alone in this new dark world…”

“So you take comfort where you can find it…You two get into a relationship,” Harry nodded slowly.

But Shane snorted. “It wasn’t even a relationship…it was just sex and I was stupid enough to…”

“Fall in love with her?”

Silence.

“Now she’s angry with me… I already feel guilty enough without her being so callous, always making snide comments when no one other than us can hear. It’s…exhausting…”

“Well, you did try to explain it to her earlier. Do you think she’s still angry?”

Shane shrugged. “She didn’t say I was forgiven or anything, just ‘okay’. But I already told her my piece. The rest is up to her.”

They sat in silence.

“I almost shot Rick in the woods on our sweep back at the camp,” Shane admitted. “I was so angry. Lori treated me like shit because she thought I lied to her, because he was not dead. Things went downhill and I was alone…” Shane lowered his head, ashamed.

“Anyone can get jealous, you know? It’s how humans are. Everyone is the same.”

“But not everyone would try to shoot their own best friend!”

“But you didn’t shoot him. Believe me, if you’re really a bad guy, you would shoot him already. Sometimes, best friends bring the worst out of you, I know. My own best friend had turned his back on me a couple of times before because he was jealous and he wasn’t being subtle about it at all. Once he even left me when I was on the run from the terrorists we were fighting because he couldn’t take the on-the-run lifestyle.

He left me and my other best friend, knowing that we could fall into danger at any moment and probably die…but in the end, he always came back for us. He even saved my life by coming back. So don’t you beat yourself up for what had happened. You might aim a weapon at him in anger, but you’d never pull the trigger because at the end of the day, you’re best friends and brothers.”

Shane sniffed, looking away. They fell into another tense silence.

“Shane, have you ever thought that maybe what you’re feeling for Lori is not really love?” Harry asked.

“What do you mean? I know what I’m feeling!” Shane glared.

“I’m sure you are but like you said…things fell apart and you and Lori were two adults in the middle of an apocalypse…you were scared and lonely…you just lost your brother and she her husband…you depended on each other because of it…

Maybe it’s not her you’re in love with…maybe you’re just desperate for companionship, for family, something to keep you going and with Rick coming back, it’s torn away from you. Maybe that’s why you’re angry. You lost something very precious in this new and harsh world.”

Shane opened his mouth to protest but Harry held up his hand to stop him.

“Just…stop for a minute and think about what I said, okay?”

The older man kept his glare and looked away again. Harry sighed inwardly. The man was the stubborn type. It would be awhile before he was willing to consider what Harry said. He just hoped Shane can keep his anger in check until he calms down.

“What is with you, Harry?” Shane asked suddenly.

“What? What do you mean?”

“I’m not the type to just open up to anyone but with you, it’s so easy. There’s something different about you…”

Harry smirked, “Are you flirting with me, Shane?”

“You wish,” Shane smirked back, “You know I could hear you at the shower, right?”

Harry blushed bright red and groaned, hiding his face in his hands. Shane laughed at his embarrassment.

“So, who did you think about at the shower, huh? A girl? A boy?”

“Watch it! Do I look like a pedophile to you?” Harry glared even though his face was still pink.

“Well, you look like a boy to me, so…you prefer an older lover?” Shane smirked.

“I’m thirty and I…don’t know my preference actually…I mean I had two girlfriends before but at the shower…,” Harry mused.

“Yes?” Shane prodded.

Harry blushed again. “None of your business.”

“You were imagining a man, weren’t you? Who was it? Is he good looking?”

“Merlin, you’re such a girl!” Harry whined.

“Oh come on! I just poured my heart out to you, it’s your turn! That’s the rule.”

“There’s no rule! We don’t have any agreement like that!”

“Was it Jenner?” Shane suddenly looked serious.

“What? Why Jenner?”

“You guys look close. You know him before this?”

“Nah,” Harry denied, “I didn’t know him but his wife attended the same school as me. She was from an old family too and since I was kinda famous in a certain circle, he knows me. I guess she told him about me.”

Shane hummed. “He’s still good looking.”

Harry choked and laughed. “You think so? Well, he is, but I don’t think he swings that way. No, I was not thinking about him, I was thinking about you…!”

Harry clammed up as soon as he realized what he was saying. His face was deep red in a flash. Shane’s eyes widened at the unexpected admission then narrowed in thought. He licked his lips and leaned closer to Harry.

“Is that so?” he asked seductively.

“I…I don’t know why I said that…” Harry stammered.

“Then you must be telling the truth. Tell me, Harry…do I arouse you? Do you want me touch you? To have sex with you?”

Harry whimpered as Shane’s lips ghosting over his, barely touching. He could feel the heat from the other man as he lowered him until Harry was on his back. His hands immediately went to the other’s chest, caressing his way up to his broad shoulders. His eyes fluttered closed when Shane finally kissed him, catching his lower lip between his.

The kiss started slow and chaste at first. Harry was glad he got his eyes fixed years ago or those blasted glasses would so be annoying right now. Then Shane grinded their hips together and he gasped when he felt Shane’s hardness pressed against his thigh. The older man took that opening to explore his mouth. Their tongues battling each other, exploring and testing each other’s strength before Harry gave up and just enjoyed the kiss, moaning and groaning with every grind, until they couldn’t breathe and had to pull away for air.

Harry whimpered as Shane kissing his way down from his jaw to his neck, biting, sucking and leaving red marks on his way down. Big hands made their way up his shirt, exposing his abs and kept going until they found nipples to pinch and twist.

“Oh Merlin! Shane…” Harry gasped.

They moved quickly and a moment later, Harry was shirtless. Shane took a nipple between his teeth and pulled. Harry gripped his shoulders tightly. He didn’t hold back his moan at all. It was a good thing that he chose the farthest office at the end of the corridor or anyone from their group might hear him. Hell, they probably could still hear him.

This was not good. Not because others probably could hear them but because Shane was still emotionally compromised. And he was drunk.

“Shane, stop…,” Harry tried to push him away. “Shane, stop this. Stop!”

The older man looked up. “Why? You want this, Harry. Come on, it must have been a long time since your last,” Shane made to kiss him again but Harry turned away.

“No! Shane, you’re drunk and high on emotion. You’re not thinking. Don’t do anything that might add to your regret, please. Besides, aren’t you in love with a woman?” Harry asked him.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t swing both ways,” came the honest reply.

“That’s good for you but I still would like to stop while we’re ahead. Get off, please,” Harry pushed him again.

Shane glared and pushed away from him. He moved to leave but Harry caught his hand stopping him.

“Shane, look. I want this, okay? Merlin, I’ve been drawn to you since we first met but this is not right. Not like this. I don’t want to be a substitute for Lori or another thing you would regret in the future,” Harry explained.

Shane didn’t reply or look back at him.

“Maybe when you’re not drunk and can thinking more clearly, we can try again,” Harry bit his lips, “Besides…I also don’t want my first time to be like this.”

That earned him a reaction. Shane’s head snapped back to him so fast Harry was surprised it didn’t fly off its place.

“This is your first time with a man?”

“This is my first time, period,” Harry informed him while trying to avoid eye contact.

“…didn’t you have girlfriends before?”

“I was also a target to a terrorist group and was busy fighting for my life. And I was always so awkward around girls before.”

“…not even a casual relationship? Experimenting at college?”

“Is that what you did?”

“Yeah. Didn’t everyone?”

“Well, I’ve been fighting to stay alive for so long it’s difficult for me to just jump into a bed with strangers! What if they’re dangerous or something? And I honestly was too busy with my studies and then my career started and before I know it…”

“The world ended and you’re a thirty year old virgin,” Shane finished it for him.

“Yeah,” Harry replied lamely.

“What’s changed then?”

“Well, the world ended for a first. Secondly, I already said I’m attracted to you. You’re the first person I’m attracted to in years. Thirdly, I doubt you’re going to harm me…Can we not talk about this?”

Shane looked away. His shoulders shook lightly.

“Are you laughing at me?” Harry narrowed his eyes.

The chuckles came and then Shane broke into peals of laughter. “Oh God, I can’t believe this. A thirty year old virgin man! In the middle of apocalypse!”

“Ha. Bloody. Ha,” Harry said sarcastically with his arms crossed. “You can stop laughing now. No need to be so insulting.”

“Sorry,” Shane took a deep breath and calmed himself. “So, we can try again next time? Do I need to woo you first?”

“You’re going to keep teasing me about this, aren’t you?”

“Oh you can bet on it, buddy,” Shane smirked.

Harry humphed. “As long as you keep it between us,” Harry relented. “And yes, I would like to try it again next time. Now leave. We had a long day and need our rest. Especially you! You’re gonna have one major hang over tomorrow, mate.”

Shane groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

Harry made a shoo motion with his hand. Shane smiled. He grabbed Harry by the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

“Thanks,” he whispered softly against Harry’s lips. “And…I’ll think about what you said.”

“Uh…Good. That’s good… Goodnight, Shane.”

“G’night, Harry.”

**~ To be continued ~**


	7. Chapter 06

Harry woke early the next morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. He decided to take another shower before heading to the cafeteria. The place was empty. Everyone else still asleep and he suspected they would wake up late today, seeing as they had their fills of wine last night and were going to suffer from hangover.

Too bad Harry didn’t have any potion to help them with it. Most of his stock was for medical purposes only. Good thing was Jenner had already prepared something for them regarding that. He looked into the pantry and found enough ingredients to make a more traditional breakfast. He bet everyone missed that.

He began to work, pulling out a frying pan and a carton of eggs. He set the coffeemaker to work and also prepared a pot of tea. Soon, the smell of eggs frying filled the air. The sizzling sound from the frying pan was nostalgic to him. It calmed him.

Half an hour later, people stumbled into the room earlier than Harry expected. Most of them walked around lifelessly with half opened eyes like walkers. Harry couldn’t help but smiled at the sight.

“You made breakfast?” Lori asked in surprise.

“Oh man, look at this!” T-Dog exclaimed, “Eggs, beans, sausages, bacons, bread toast…there’s even coffee, tea, milk and orange juice! Man, this is the first traditional English breakfast I have in a long time!”

“You’re a Godsend, Harry,” Jacqui sighed happily as she gulped down her coffee.

“I do my best,” Harry chuckled.

“Morning,” Rick greeted weakly as he took a seat at the table. It looked like the good officer also suffered from a hangover and a little worse than the others from the look of it.

“Are you hungover?” Carl asked curiously. “Mom said you’d be.”

“Mom is right,” Rick smiled.

“Mom has that annoying habit,” Lori tried not to laugh at her husband’s misery.

“Where’d all this come from?” Rick asked lifting up a bottle of pills.

“Jenner. Thought we could use it,” Lori looked at Glenn in amusement. “Some of us, at least.”

“Don’t ever ever ever let me drink again,” Glenn moaned pitifully. The boy looked the worst out of all of them.

“Hey,” Shane walked in and went straight to the coffeemaker.

“Hey,” Rick greeted back. “Feel as bad as I do?”

“Worse,” Shane grunted.

Harry chuckled. “I told you so.”

“Seriously?” Shane looked at him exasperatedly.

“Morning,” Harry grinned.

Shane looked at him up and down. Then he smirked smugly. “You wearing a turtleneck,” he pointed out.

Harry’s face pinked a bit. “Well, someone decided to maul me last night. I don’t want to answer awkward questions,” he huffed.

“What awkward questions?” T-Dog asked curiously.

“Nothing. Now everybody eat your breakfast! Protein helps the hangover,” Harry told them as he filled Shane’s plate with two sunny-side-ups.

Halfway to breakfast, Jenner joined them.

“Morning,” he greeted everyone.

“Hey, doc,” Shane greeted back. He looked at everyone while massaging his throbbing head. Andrea nodded at him. “Doctor, I don’t mean to slam you with questions first thing…”

“But you will anyway,” Jenner said.

“We didn’t come here for the eggs,” Andrea told him.

Jenner looked at them. He turned his eyes to Harry. The younger man shrugged. After breakfast, they went to the main room with the gigantic screen with Jenner on the lead. He went to a computer station and clicked on something.

“Give me playback of TS-19,” Jenner instructed.

“Playback of TS-19,” Vi’s voice echoed in the room.

The screen came to life beeping with various tables and three dimensional scans on a human head with the brain visible filling the screen. Everyone watched in anticipation.

“Few people ever got a chance to see this. Very few,” Jenner told them.

“Is that a brain?” Carl asked.

“An extraordinary one,” Jenner replied before losing his smile. “Not that it matters in the end. Take us in for EIV.”

“Enhanced internal view.”

The scan on the human head turned to the side horizontally until they got a clear view on the brain. It was brightly lit and the screen zoomed in into the brain.

“What are those lights?” Shane asked.

“It’s a person’s life, experience, memories… It’s everything,” Jenner answered. “Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you…the thing that makes you unique. And human.”

“You don’t make sense ever?” Daryl asked impatiently.

“Those are synapses, electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says, does, or thinks from the moment of birth,” Harry explained.

“To the moment of death,” Jenner added.

“Death? That’s what this is, a vigil?” Rick asked.

“Yes,” Jenner paused. “Or rather the playback of the vigil.”

“This person died?” Andrea asked softly. “Who?”

Harry caught the pained look in Jenner’s eyes while others were still focused on the screen. The person was obviously dear to him.

“Test Subject 19. Someone who was bitten and infected…and volunteered to have us record the process,” the scientist replied. “Vi, scan forward to the first event.”

“Scanning to first event.”

There was more beeping and the record was fast forwarded. The brain was dimmer than before. The nerve and the stem in the brain were dark unlike before and it was spreading.  
“What is that?” Glenn asked.

“It invades the brain like meningitis. The adrenal glands hemorrhage, the brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs. Then death.”

As he explained, everyone was in horrified silence how the brain’s damage got worse and the person on the screen convulsed a couple of times before everything turned dark. The brain was dead so was the person.

“Everything you ever were or ever will be…gone,” Jenner looked down.

“Is that what happened to Jim?” Sophia asked her mom.

“Yes,” Carol nodded.

Everyone looked solemn. Andrea sniffed tearfully.

“She lost somebody two days ago. Her sister,” Lori told Jenner.

“I lost somebody too. I know how devastating it is,” Jenner said sympathetically to Andrea. “Scan to the second event.”

“Scanning to second event.” The scan was fast forwarding again.

“The resurrection times vary wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours,” he informed them, “In the case of this patient, it was two hour, one minute…seven seconds.”

They watched as sparkles of light came to life in the brain but it was not the beautiful blue light from before. This time it was red. It started tiny and grew bigger but stopped before it went beyond the brain stem. The light was nothing compared to the living version, it was much smaller.

“It restarts the brain?” Lori asked in surprise.

“No, just the brain stem. Basically, it gets them up and moving,” Harry observed the screen.

“But they’re not alive?” Rick asked to be sure.

“You tell me,” Jenner motioned to the screen.

Rick shook his head as he observed the brain, trying to make sense of it but failed. “It’s nothing like before,” he finally said. “Most of that brain is dark.”

“Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part…that doesn’t come back. The ‘you’ part,” Jenner nodded. “Just a shell.”

Suddenly a flash light hit the person and a thick line formed diagonally across the head.

“God. What was that?” Carol asked.

“He shot his patient in the head…didn’t you?” Andrea said.

“Vi, power down the main screen and the workstations,” Jenner ordered.

“Powering down main screen and workstations.”

“You have no idea what it is, do you?” Andrea asked.

Meanwhile, Harry’s attention wandered. Yeah, he had that habit. He looked at the red numbers on the clock that were counting down. Why did he suddenly have a bad feeling?

“Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you,” Dale said for the first time since entering the room, “And I hate to ask one more question, but…that clock…it’s counting down. What happens at zero?”

“The basement generators…they run out of fuel,” Jenner answered shortly.

“And then?”

Jenner didn’t answer. He left instead. Rick’s sense of protectiveness kicked in.

“Vi, what happens when the power runs out?” he asked to the AI.

“When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur.”

Harry cursed loudly attracting everybody’s attention. He ran out of the room, chasing after Jenner. So that was what the reaper for.

“What? Harry!!”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Jenner!” Harry found the man was on the way to his office. The man didn’t turn around at the call, he just kept walking. Harry grabbed his arm and turned him to face him.

“Facility-wide decontamination. Is it what I think it is?” Harry asked.

“You know the procedure,” Jenner replied.

“We have to warn them. Get them out. For Merlin’s sake! There’s a reaper here!” Harry snapped when the man didn’t react.

“A reaper?” Jenner looked confused.

“Been looming over you since last night,” Harry told him.

“Was that why your eyes were glowing? Interesting,” Jenner commented. “You want to warn them? Go ahead. I’m going to prepare.”

Harry nodded, satisfied. “Okay.”

When Harry went back to the main room, everyone already left. Only Dale was remained, he was about to leave to.

“Dale, where’s everyone?” Harry asked.

“Back to their rooms. Rick, Shane, T-dog, and Glenn went to the basement to check on the generators,” Dale answered. “Harry, what’s going on? What made you freaked out earlier?”

“Gather everyone, Dale. I’m going to get Rick and the others. There’s some bad news,” Harry instructed as he ran out again.

He was just arrived at the basement when the lights went out. He cursed again.

“Shane? Rick! You guys down here?” Harry called out. He bumped into someone at the door.

“Whoa, Harry!” Shane caught him when he almost fell.

“Shane! Quick! We have to get out of here,” Harry told him.

“This is about the power, isn’t it?” Rick asked they moved up the stairs.

“Yes. Now back to the main room. I already told Dale to gather everyone.”

They found Jenner and the others were walking down the stairs when they reached upstairs. Jenner had changed into his work clothes and lab coat with a bottle of drink in his hand. There was determination on his face as everybody followed him and Harry realized belatedly what he meant by preparing.

“Jenner, what’s happening?” Rick asked but the scientist just kept walking.

“The system is dropping all the nonessential uses of power. It’s designed to keep the computers running to the last possible second. That started as we approached the half-hour mark,” Jenner pointed to the clock as they entered the main room. “Right on schedule.”

Jenner paused and handed the empty bottle to Daryl who snatched it in irritation.

“It was the French,” he said suddenly.

“What?”

“They were the last ones to hold out as far as I know. While out people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in the labs till the end. They thought they were close to a solution.”

“What happened?” Jacqui asked him.

“The same thing that’s happening here. No power grid. Ran out of juice,” Jenner gestures with his hands. “The world runs of fossil fuel. I mean, how stupid is that?”

“Let me tell you…,” Shane was about to lung at the man but Rick stopped him.

“To hell with it. I don’t care,” Rick said, “Lori, grab our things. Everybody, get your stuff. We’re getting out of here now!”

“Oh, okay.”

Suddenly, the alarm blaring loudly in the air alerting everyone. The screen came to life with a countdown. Harry watched in resignation as Jenner walked to a workstation.

“Thirty minutes to decontamination.”

“Doc, what’s going on here, damn it?” Daryl shouted.

“You’re meaning to die here, aren’t you?” Harry asked the man.

Jenner looked at him then reached the pad on a station, ignoring everyone’s panic shouts. Then used his ID to seal the door.

“Jenner, don’t do this,” Harry moved to stop him but he was too late.

“Did you just lock us in?” Glenn asked weakly. “He just locked us in!”

Daryl came running and screaming, intent to attack the scientist but the men stopped him.

“Hey, Jenner, open that door now!” Rick demanded.

“There’s no point. Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exits are sealed,” Jenner informed them.

“Well, open the damn things!”

“That’s not something I control. The computers do. I told you once that front door closed, it wouldn’t open again. You heard me say that,” he reminded them.

“I take it you found nothing in my blood?” Harry asked to everyone’s confusion.

Jenner shook his head. “Nothing. It’s better this way.”

“What is?” Rick asked. “What happens in twenty-eight minutes?”

Jenner ignored him.

“Harry, you knew what would happen, right? Tell us,” Dale said.

Everyone turned to him. Harry sighed.

“If my guess is right, the entire building will explode,” Harry informed them regretfully.

“What?!”

“You son of a bitch!”

Shane grabbed Jenner but the taller man yanked his arm back.

“Do you know what this place is?!” he roared the question, stunning everyone at the burst of emotion he showed. “We protected the public from very nasty stuff! Weaponized smallpox! Ebola strains that could wipe out half the country! Stuff you don’t want getting out! Ever!”

Everyone looked at him in stunned silence. Jenner calmed himself down and went back to his chair.

“In the event of a catastrophic power failure in a terrorist attack, for example…HITs are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out.”

“HITs?”

“Vi, define.”

“HITs…high-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosives consist of a two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosives except nuclear. The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen at between five thousands degrees and six thousands degrees and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage of structures is desired.”

“It sets the air on fire,” Jenner summed it up. “No pain. An end to sorrow, grief…regret. Everything.”

Everybody looked devastated and scared for their life. Shane turned to Harry with accusation in his eyes.

“You knew about this? You knew about this when he told us about the fuel, didn’t you? Why didn’t you tell us?!”

“I had to make sure with him first,” Harry replied. “I went to look for you guys as soon as I got the confirmation.”

“You could’ve told us before he sealed the damn door!” Shane shoved him.

“I didn’t realize that he wants to die!” Harry shoved back. “I didn’t realize he intends to kill us all with him until it’s too late!”

Shane glared then turned away from him. Daryl threw the empty bottle in his hand at the door. It shattered on impact.

“Open the damn door!” Daryl barked.

“Out of my way!” Shane charging towards the door with an axe in his hands. He swung and hit the door as hard as he could with the axe but it barely dented. Glenn threw another axe to Daryl who turned around to help Shane.

“You should’ve left well enough alone. It would’ve been so much easier,” Jenner told them.

“Easier for who?” Lori asked.

“All of you. You know what’s out there…a short, brutal life and an agonizing death,” he turned to Andrea. “Your…your sister…what was her name?”

“Amy.”

“Amy. You know what this does. You’ve seen it. Is that really what you want for your wife and son?” he asked Rick.

“I don’t want this,” Rick answered heatedly.

Shane panted against a workstation, trying to catch his breath. “Can’t make a dent,” he told Rick.

“Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher,” Jenner informed him.

“Well, your head ain’t!” Daryl swung the axe at Jenner.

“Whoa! Whoa! Daryl! Daryl!” Rick stopped him. They had to bodily restrain him. “Just back up! Back up!”

“You do want his,” Jenner said suddenly to Rick. “Last night you said you knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead.”

“What?”

Everyone looked at Rick in betrayal.

“What? You really said that? After all your big talk?” Shane demanded.

Harry shook his head. He blinked and this time when his eyes glowed, he saw two reapers in the room. Shit! Was anymore coming? Did this mean they were all going to die here except for him? He looked around but didn’t saw anymore reaper. So, two people were going to die here.

“What part of “everything is gone” do you not understand?” Andrea’s voice broke his concentration.

“Listen to your friend. She gets it,” Jenner gestured.

“You still on about that?” Harry frowned at her.

She glared back at him. Clearly, none of his words had any effect on her. In fact, she probably chose to be furious at him for his callous words about Amy’s death. Well, too bad for her.

“This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event,” Jenner said.

“This isn’t right,” Carol cried. “You can’t just keep us here.”

“One tiny moment…a millisecond. No pain.”

“My daughter doesn’t deserve to die like this,” Carol sobbed.

“Why are you still here then? After all this time?” Harry asked.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s right. Why are you still here? I think you’re lying,” Rick accused.

“What?”

“You’re lying about no hope. If that were true, you’d have bolted with the rest or taken the easy way out. You didn’t. You chose the hard path. Why?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. It always matters,” he insisted. “You stayed when others ran. Why?

“Not because I wanted to,” Jenner got up to his face. “I made a promise…,” then gestured to the screen, “…to her. My wife.”

Everyone looked surprise. “Test subject 19 was your wife?”

“She begged me to keep going as long as I could. How could I say no? She was dying,” he paused. “It should’ve been me on that table. I wouldn’t have mattered to anybody. She was a loss to the world. Hell, she ran this place. I just worked here. In our field, she was an Einstein. Me? I’m just…Edwin Jenner. She could’ve done something about this. Not me.”

“Your wife didn’t have a choice. You do,” Rick told him. “That’s…that’s all we want…a choice, a chance.”

“Let us keep trying as long as we can,” Lori pleaded.

Jenner turned to Harry.

“You know who I am, Jenner. What I am. The world ended. I don’t want to be alone so soon…,” Harry looked at him sadly. “Hell, that’s why I joined them in the first place and as stupid as that choice is, I don’t regret it…”

Jenner sighed softly. “I told you topside’s locked down. I can’t open those,” he warned as he moved to unseal the door. It slid open.

“Come on!” Daryl barked at them as soon as the door was open.

“Let’s go! Come on, let’s go!” Glenn shouted as they ran to get their stuff.

“There’s your chance. Take it,” Jenner told Rick.

“I’m grateful,” Rick said sincerely.

Jenner smiled. “The day will come when you won’t be,” he said. He accepted Rick’s handshake and pulled him close, whispering something that made the shadow of a smile on Rick’s face disappear completely.

Harry frowned, wondering what he told the man. Suddenly, his arm was grabbed. He turned around to see Shane looking at him. There was still some anger in his eyes.

“Come on,” Shane yanked Harry towards the door.

“But…wait…” Harry looked back.

“There’s no time!” Shane pulled him along with him and Harry was helpless to fight against him. The man was stronger than him, physically.

“Hey, we’ve got four minutes left! Come on!” Glenn reminded them.

“Let’s go. Let’s go, Jacqui,” T-Dog guided her along but she pulled away.

“No no, I’m staying,” Jacqui said to his shock. “I’m staying, Sweetie.”

“But that’s insane!”

“No, it’s completely sane. For the first time in a long time,” she insisted. “I’m not ending up like Jim and Amy.”

Everyone looked stunned at her. Harry scanned the room again and still saw only two reapers, each hovering over Jenner and Jacqui. His eyes landed on Andrea who also didn’t move. She was reaper-less. That was until suddenly another reaper also appeared near her.

“No…” Harry said.

“There’s no time to argue and no point, not if you want to get out,” Jacqui said again. “Just get out. Get out.”

“T-Dog. Come on, man,” Shane called him.

“Come on! Come on!” Rick barked at everyone.

Dale looked at Jacqui and then Andrea.

“I’m staying too,” she said.

“Andrea, no!” Dale pleaded.

She looked away and sat down on the floor. Dale looked at them, gesturing with his hand.

“Just go! Go!”

“Come on,” Shane told them.

“But, Andrea…!” Harry started.

“Forget her, Harry! She wants to die!” Shane snapped as he kept his hold as strong as he could on a struggling Harry.

“It’s not supposed to be her time!”

“Dale’s staying behind. He’s going to change her mind, all right? Now stop struggling!” Shane shoved him to the stairs ahead of everyone and stayed behind him, forcing Harry to run up the stairs if he didn’t want to bar the others.

Harry promised himself he was going to have a talk with Shane later. As soon as they reached the ground floor, they ran to the lobby straight to the entrance door.

“Get them doors open!” Glenn shouted as T-Dog pounded on the door.

“Come on!”

“It doesn’t work!”

Daryl and Shane ran to the front windows with axes in their hands. Shane dumped the gun bags onto the floor and caught the axe Daryl thrust upon him. Together, they worked to break the window but it didn’t budge. T-Dog only managed to scratch it with a chair.

“Get down! Get down!” Shane warned before taking a shot at the window. The bullet imbedded into the glass creating spidery web pattern around it. “Jesus.”

“The glass won’t break?” Sophia asked.

“Out of my way, Shane,” Harry told him. He flicked his hand and the Elder wand appeared in his hand.

“Rick, I have something that might help,” Carol stepped forward and Harry saw her pull out a grenade of all things out of her bag, “Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform I found this in your pocket.”

Harry almost sighed in relief that he didn’t have to reveal his secret yet but kept the wand in his hand and out of sight just in case the grenade didn’t work.

“Come on,” Rick took the grenade and ran to the window.

“Look out!” Glenn warned everywhere.

Everybody took cover. Shane pulled Harry with him to the floor and almost completely shields him with his body. Harry didn’t leave his eyes from the window, his wand at ready. Rick ran to took cover but before he could get down, the grenade detonated, destroying the window for them. He was thrown from the blast but otherwise was fine.

Immediately, everyone took the chance to get out, weapons at ready. As they ran across the yard, walkers began to come out. They were attracted by the sound of the explosion but fortunately there were only a few of them. For now. They ran straight to their car. Rick went to the RV since it was the most important one in their midst and with Dale inside the building, someone had to take it. Everyone else went to their own cars.

Something took their attention, though. Dale and Andrea made it out of the building but they were still too close. They shouted at them to get down and took cover. Luckily, they heard them. Then the building exploded.

Everyone watched with mixed feelings as the building burned. They didn’t watch for long, though, because the explosion was sure to attract the walkers from a mile radius. Instead, they began to drive away from the place they thought could be their new home before it all fell apart.

**~ To be continued ~**


	8. Chapter 07

Harry sighed from his spot in the RV’s tiny bedroom, leaning against the window. After the destruction of the CDC headquarters, they drove until they arrived at the outskirt of the city where it was mostly empty, even from walkers. Their new plan was try to go to Fort Benning like Shane suggested firstly back at the camp.

To save their resources, they decided to leave some of their cars and collect the fuel from the tanks. It was still not enough for a hundred and twenty-five miles drive. Daryl and T-Dog went to collect more fuel from any nearby abandoned cars they could find.

Daryl decided to dump his truck but take his motorbike with him. Harry and Shane were also going to leave their cars behind. They, along with T-Dog, Glenn, and Andrea, were going to ride with Dale. As everyone prepared to leave, Harry watched as Shane, leaning against the back of the RV, looked at Rick and his family. He watched as Rick and Lori kissed. Rick turned around before he got into the car. He locked eyes with Shane and smiled. Shane returned the smile as sincerely as he could.

Harry sighed again and turned away. Why did Shane keep tormenting himself with that feeling, he had no idea. Then again, love made people do crazy things, including hurting themselves. Not that he had any room to say anything. He himself was longingly watching Shane longingly watching Lori and her husband.

He thought back to the moments at the CDC headquarters, how Shane made sure that Harry didn’t do anything stupid like staying behind, how he used himself to protect Harry from the blast of the grenade’s explosion. Harry was too high on adrenaline at the time to notice all of that but now that he had time to think, he was flattered at the protectiveness the man showed him even though it was clear the man was still angry at him and infatuated with Lori.

The wizard snapped out of his musing when he heard the RV’s door slam close and Dale started driving. The door to the room slid open and Shane stopped short when he saw him. He had been avoiding Harry ever since they left the CDC. Harry had a feeling he was too angry at him to say anything without snapping.

Harry didn’t blame him. He almost got them killed because he was too slow connecting the dots and when he finally did, he didn’t tell them until it was too late. Not that it was intentional but in Shane’s opinion, he had to be more aware of things like this. And Harry agreed with him. It was just…just like he thought before; being Master of Death had made him careless. Still, he couldn’t use that excuse every time things like this happen in the future. He had to be more aware and quick to act from now on. It’s time to pull out whatever survival instinct he had from whatever cupboard that was hidden in his mind.

Shane closed the door and placed his bag on a chair. There was an awkward silence, Harry on the bed and Shane stood near the door.

“I’m sorry,” Harry broke the silence.

“Are you?” Shane looked at him for the first time since they escaped.

“Yes,” Harry said firmly.

“I told you, Harry, if you feel that something’s wrong, then it is most of the time. And even if you’re not sure, you tell me or Rick. You tell anyone in our group because it’s not just your life at stake here, you get it?” Shane said with frustration in his voice.

Harry nodded guiltily. He knew that. He already got members of their group killed at the camp for not putting up wards. He got Amy killed because he was careless.

“Why are you so careless with your safety? With our safety? You said to me that keeping my anger inside would get us killed. Well, you almost got us killed with your carelessness!”

“I’m sorry! I know that now, okay? I’m sorry! I just never had to worry about things like this before since all of this started, I never have other people with me to think about before, but I know now how dangerous it could be if I keep thinking like this…I’m sorry! I’ll do better next time…!”

Harry didn’t get to finish as suddenly Shane lunged forward and sealed his lips shut with his. Harry kissed him back as hungrily as Shane did angrily. Harry gasped as his hair was pulled from behind and the older man took that chance to invade his mouth. The wizard grabbed the back of the man’s shirt tightly and pulled him closer until they were chest to chest on the bed.

“Hey, we heard shouting. Is everything all right…Whoa!” T-Dog exclaimed in shock.

The couple on the bed sprung apart at the sound. Harry flushed bright red while Shane tried to avoid any eye contact with anyone.

“What’s going on?” They could hear Andrea asking from outside but T-Dog, with his big build, was blocking the door.

“Since when did this happen?” T-Dog asked still in shock.

“None of your business and nothing’s happening,” Shane growled as he walked out of the room, bumping into T-Dog in the process.

The dark-skinned man frowned at him then looked back to Harry worriedly. “Hey, you okay, man? Shane’s not…he’s not…forcing you or anything, right?”

“No!” Harry denied quickly, “Nothing like that at all! We just…it’s…”

T-Dog held up his hand. “If he’s not forcing you then it’s not my business what you two did. I’m just going to ask you both one thing.”

“What?”

“Please don’t do anything while we’re all in the same car, all right? That’s just…weird.”

Harry flushed again. “Okay,” he said meekly.

T-Dog looked amused at him.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry spent the time reading a book in the room. He could hear the occasional talk the others had. Shane was teaching Andrea about guns and how to maintenance them. T-Dog didn’t say anything to anyone about what he saw between him and Shane and both men were grateful.

He was thinking about joining the lesson Shane gave Andrea. He would need it to help protect others in the group. Then the RV slowed to a stop. Harry frowned. He didn’t think they were at Fort Benning already. He put down the book and went to the front of the RV.

“What’s up?” he asked and saw that there was a blockade of abandoned vehicles ahead of them.

Daryl rode back on his motorbike from between the vehicles and Dale asked him, “See a way through?”

The redneck nodded and indicated with his head. He rode ahead of them, guiding them between the cars.

“Uh, maybe we should just go back,” Glenn suggested. “There’s an interstate bypass…”

“We can’t spare the fuel,” Dale shook his head.

Suddenly, there was a loud clank and a high pitch sputtering sound from the RV’s engine that made Harry jump in surprise. Smoke burst in front of them and the RV broke down, again. They were forced to stop.

“I said it. Didn’t I say it?” Dale grumped. “A thousand times. Dead in the water.”

They all got out and looked around while Dale checked on the RV.

“Problem, Dale?”

“Just a small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of…” Dale trailed off as Daryl came into view looking into one car and the next.

“Okay, that was dumb,” Daryl said, “If you can’t find a radiator hose here…There’s a whole bunch of stuff we can find.”

“I can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start,” T-Dog agreed and start working.

“Maybe some water.”

“Or food.”

“This is a graveyard,” Lori said, breaking everybody’s spirit. “I don’t know how I feel about this.”

Harry looked at her in annoyance. She either clung too tightly on to the past, how life used to be, or she felt it was beneath her to scavenge their needs from the dead. She never did any of the supply run and she was complaining?

“Who cares?” Harry spoke up. “It’s not like they need it. We don’t have supplies. Everything that was in the CDC exploded. If you’d rather you and your son die from hunger, thirst, and exposure then be my guest. But let us who want to live to work, okay? I haven’t seen any contribution from your part ever since I joined this group. Only complaints.”

She flushed in embarrassment and glared at him before looking away. Rick looked displeased but didn’t come to her defense as what he was saying was true.

“Okay, everybody. Start working!” Harry clapped to get them moving. “Just look around, gather what you can.”

Harry peeked into every car and looked for any clothes he could find. He didn’t need them as he still had his trunk. But to everybody else, their clothes were left behind at the CDC so they needed new ones. He found some snacks instead. Well, they still needed to eat too. He was glad they left their medical supplies in the RV before because it wasn’t like the CDC needed them.

He saw Carol looking at some clothes on the back of a car. She smiled when she saw a lovely red V-neck shirt and tried to compare the size to her body. Harry remembered her husband was abusive. She probably didn’t have many good memories with him. She reminded him of himself when he was a kid. He frowned when she lost her smile and looked away awkwardly. He found Lori was looking at her with a weird expression. Again, the annoyance flared in him.

“Ed never let me wear nice things,” Carol said, laughing awkwardly. Lori didn’t say anything, just looked away as awkwardly as Carol.

“You should get it,” Harry chimed in. They turned to him. He reached forward and took the red shirt. “It’s a lovely shirt, Carol. I think it suits you. Besides, we do need new clothes.”

Carol smiled shyly at him, “I…guess you’re right.”

“Of course, I am,” Harry grinned. “You should get something too, Lori. Everybody’s busy to get the things they need. Don’t want you to complain later if we don’t get what you need because it’s beneath you to get it yourself.”

Lori glared at him. “What’s your problem, Harry? You keep insulting me. What did I do to deserve that?”

“I’m not insulting you. Just stating the truth. I got tired of your almighty waspish act about how things supposed to be this way or that way as you view it. The world is not the same anymore and your judgmental opinion makes you look like a bitch, just so you know. If you don’t want to be treated like a bitch then stop acting like one,” Harry said coldly.

She glared hatefully at him some more before grabbing her son and dragging him away with her. “Come on, Carl. Let’s look somewhere else.”

Harry smirked as she stomped away. He turned to see Carol watching him.

“You should be kinder to her, Harry,” Carol said. “She’s just…”

“She keeps patronizing people, Carol, when all that everyone tries to do is making sure of our survival and keeps everybody’s spirit up. And yet she never does anything worthwhile to help us, to make it easier.”

“Still…maybe you could be less…”

“Rude? Cruel?” Harry smirked.

“Yes,” Carol smiled then her eyes focused past him. “Sophia, stay within my sight, all right, honey?”

Sophia nodded. Carol and Harry watched her peeking into a car near them. Harry sighed.

“I guess…I’m just jealous…” Harry admitted softly.

“Jealous? Why?” Carol asked.

Suddenly they heard laughter and saw Shane and Glenn laughing near a car and a truck behind the RV. Turned out, Shane found gallons of water in a truck.

“Nothing,” Harry finally said as his eyes locked onto Shane’s form.

Then Shane’s focus turned to the road ahead. He looked alarmed. Dale got down, flat on his front of the top of the RV, hiding. Rick ran around, keeping his head beneath the cars’ height and whispering warning to everyone to get down under the car.

“Hide under the car, Carol,” Harry instructed as he saw the herd of walkers walking towards them.

“But, Sophia…”

“I’ll get her. Just hide,” Harry said as he ran looking for Sophia. She was on the other side of the next two cars to the left.

Harry cupped her mouth to hide her squeak and pulled her with him under the car. He shushed her. “Shush! It’s okay, Sophia. There are walkers. Be quiet, okay?” Harry whispered to her ear. She nodded shakily.

Harry tried to look around and saw Lori under the car with Carol, she had her hand on Carol’s mouth like Harry did Sophia. Carl was underneath the car between them. They stayed as quite as possible as the growling and snarling got closer with shuffling steps. They saw dozen pairs of legs of walkers walked past their car slowly. When they finally past, Harry sighed in relief. Everyone began to relax.

“Stay, you hear me?” Harry told Sophia, “I’m going to check if it’s safe, yet. Don’t come out until I say so, all right?”

She nodded again. Slowly, Harry shuffled out from under the car as quietly as he could. Walkers might ignore him, but they were still attracted to the noise he made so he had to be careful. He looked around and stopped short when he saw a walker on the other side of the car. Suddenly, the walker reached down and Sophia’s cry was heard. Harry cursed as Sophia shuffled out to his side, whimpering.

Harry picked her up. “No no no! Shush! Sophia, stay quiet!” he told her as he ran away from the walker, another was following the first as it also heard Sophia’s whimper.  
He jumped over the fence and into the woods with Sophia in his arms, walkers hot on his heels. She tried to hold in her frightened cry as much as she could but he could tell she was scared.

“It’s okay, Sophia. I’m gonna keep us safe. Just help me and be quiet, all right? It’s okay,” Harry kept whispering comforting words to her as he ran.

Harry could feel his arms began to burn from the strain of Sophia’s weight. He never did any labor work for over a decade now so he wasn’t use to the exercise. And he still could hear the walkers behind them, though a bit far away.

Suddenly, another walker appeared in front of them and attacked. Sophia screamed as Harry turned away to shield her. He grunted in pain when the walker bit into him instead, missing the girl. She dropped from his arms.

“Harry!”

“Run, Sophia! Run!” Harry shouted as he struggled with the walker.

She ran away as he directed. Harry tried to get the other two walkers’ attention by shouting as loud as he could but Sophia’s frightened cries didn’t help and they looked for her instead. The walker on his shoulder bit a chunk of meat from his neck, blinding him with pain and blood spurting out in a fountain, before shuffling away towards Sophia’s direction. Harry grabbed a large stone and bashed its head from behind, over and over again until it was a bloody pulp before losing his consciousness from the pain and blood loss. He dropped to the ground, hitting his head painfully on the stone he used earlier.

“No…Sophia…” he sighed weakly before the darkness came.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Harry, wake up! Harry!!”

The wizard gasped loudly as his eyes snapped open suddenly before squeezing them closed as the light hit his eyes. He groaned at the pain in his eyes before he stopped and remembered what happened.

“Sophia!!”

He lunged only to be stopped by a strong hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see the concerned and relieved look on Shane’s face. Rick was standing behind him, on guard. Daryl was looking into the woods around them. Glenn was inspecting the walker’s remains.

“Shane, Sophia…!”

“I know. Rick found her running away from the walkers,” Shane said. Harry almost sighed in relief before Shane added, “But then he lost her after he hid her in a hole on the riverbed and distracted the walkers away from her. We couldn’t find her after that.”

“What?!”

“What happened, Harry? You had her before,” Rick asked.

“I…we ran from the walkers but then another came from the front and attacked. I tried to fight them off but it was just me and three walkers and I don’t have any weapon so I told Sophia to run…”

“You did the right thing,” Shane assured him.

“After that?” Rick asked.

“I tried to distract the other two but Sophia was screaming and crying and they went to her instead…” Harry looked at the walker’s body near them. “I fought this one and was going to run after Sophia but…I don’t remember…I guess I fell and hit my head…oh Merlin! I’m so stupid! Now she’s lost!”

“Hey hey hey, it’s not your fault, okay? You did your best,” Shane held his face to look at him in the eyes.

“Shane’s right. If it’s anybody’s fault, it’s mine. I left her alone,” Rick said.

“No, it’s my fault. I should have done better…How can I face Carol again?” Harry said devastated.

“Hey stop it you two,” Shane snapped. “No blaming. She’s still out there. We should focus on finding her instead!”

“You’re right,” Rick nodded.

“You said you hit yourself, are you injured?” Daryl asked.

“I…,” Harry checked himself. He knew he wouldn’t have any sign of wounds when he came back from death but he checked anyway just for show. “My head hurts a bit but I don’t think so…”

“Where’d all the blood come from then?” Daryl indicated to the splashes of dry blood on the ground and his shirt.

Glenn looked at the walker. It was in bad shape and he wasn’t talking about its head. “I guess it’s from the walker…I mean…look at it…its gut’s spilling out.”

“It doesn’t matter. As long as you’re sure you’re not bitten,” Shane said.

“I’m not,” Harry assured him.

“Harry, you probably should go back to the group, T-Dog cut himself bad on a windowsill. Daryl managed to stop him from bleeding to death and Dale treated it as best as he could but you probably should take a look at him,” Rick told him.

“But Sophia…”

“We’ll find her, Harry. Just go back,” Rick ordered. Harry glared at him.

“I’ll go back with him,” Shane offered, “Just in case you hit your head hard enough. Can you walk on your own?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Yes, Shane. I can. I think I’d know if I have a concussion. I’m the doctor, remember?” He got up with the man’s help and turned to Rick. He bit his lips in indecision before nodding to himself.

“Harry?”

“Before I go back, I think I know where to find Sophia. Or at least I can find out the direction to look for her,” Harry said.

“What do you mean?”

Harry flicked his wrist and the Elder wand appeared in his hand. Shane and the others stepped back in surprise.

“What the hell is that?” Glenn asked in surprise.

“You’re a wizard!” Daryl exclaimed. Harry’s eyes snapped up to him.

“A what?” Shane asked incredulously.

“You know?” Harry asked him.

“I…my momma was a squib,” Daryl said. “She told me stories.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Shane snapped.

“Look, I can’t explain it now. Sophia’s more important. For now, just trust me,” Harry pleaded.

“He’s right,” Daryl nodded. “Do your…magic thingy then.”

Harry held up the wand. “Point me Sophia Peletier,” he said. The wand suddenly floated up his hand and spun around a little before stopping, pointing a little to the left. “She’s in that direction. You can look for her there.”

“How accurate is that thing?” Rick asked.

“Pretty accurate. It can point to even a person on the other side of the world if I need it,” Harry told him.

“Okay,” Rick decided to take a leap of faith of this new thing he learnt about. “Go back to the others. And don’t forget to take a look at T-Dog.”

“Please find her, Rick. I…”

“I will, Harry. Now go back,” Rick nodded.

Harry, Shane, and Glenn parted way with Rick and Daryl. They were going to check the direction Harry gave them, hoping it would really lead them to Sophia. The three of them walked back to the highway in silence. There was tension as Shane and Glenn kept stealing looks at him. They didn’t know what to think of him. Harry pretended he didn’t notice.  
When they arrived, Carol ran up to them. Harry couldn’t look her in the eye. He was feeling so guilty for losing her daughter. Shane explained the situation but opted out the wizard thing since he didn’t know whether it was good or not to tell the others. Glenn nodded at him. Harry felt guiltier for feeling grateful for their discretion.

“I’m so sorry, Carol…” he said softly.

She let out a sob and turned away from him. Andrea was looking at him accusingly; she just got another reason to hate him more. Lori didn’t say anything but there was a smug glint in her eyes at the thought of Harry being as useless as he thought her to be. If he wasn’t feeling so guilty right now, he would give her the mother-of-all-bitch-slap right here right now. Taking pleasure over the disappearance of a child, what kind of woman did that? And she was a mother too!

He went to T-Dog, instead. Dale did a pretty good job to patch him up but Harry still need to redo the stitching. Dale did a rush job and it was bound to cause infection because he didn’t sterilize the wound and the kit enough. After that, all they needed to do was to keep the wound clean and changed the bandages regularly. He gave him some antibiotics and painkiller before telling him to sleep it off. They didn’t need him to get an infection and fever because he was pushing himself too hard.

After that, Harry decided to make himself useful to distract his mind of things. He took over T-Dog’s task to siphon more fuel from other cars. He saw Shane was repairing a car. The man looked up when he felt someone staring. They locked eyes for a moment before Carl came running with something in his hands, trying to catch the man’s attention. Harry sighed when Shane looked away. He couldn’t read the look in the man’s eyes or what he was thinking.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick and Daryl returned hours later at sunset looking tired. They hadn’t found Sophia. Harry slumped at the news. Carol looked like she was about to cry again.

“You didn’t find her?” Carol asked.

“We found some trail but it went cold,” Rick informed her, “We’ll pick it up again at first light.”

“You can’t leave my daughter out there on her own to spend the night alone in the woods,” she protested.

“Out in the dark’s no good. We’d just be tripping over ourselves. More people get lost,” Daryl told her.

“But she’s twelve. She can’t be out there on her own. You didn’t find anything?” she began to hyperventilate.

Harry stepped up to her. “Carol, sit down,” he guided her to the road fence, “Try to breathe. In and out, all right?”

“I know this is hard. But I’m asking you not to panic. We know she was out there. And we tracked her for a while,” Rick turned to them, “We have to make this an organized effort. Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I’ve asked him to oversee this.”

She looked at him and then Daryl. “Is that blood?” she asked faintly, focusing on Daryl.

“We took down a walker,” Rick explained.

“A walker…” Carol breathed heavily. Harry found a small grocery bag for her to breathe in.

“There was no sign it was ever anywhere near Sophia,” Rick quickly added.

“How can you know that?” Andrea asked.

“We cut the son of a bitch open, made sure,” Daryl answered.

“Oh God,” she looked at the road then turned to Harry, “How could you tell her to run alone in the woods with walkers behind her?” She turned to Rick. “And you, how could you just leave her out there to begin with after you find her? How could you just leave her?”

Harry looked down in shame.

“Harry had to fight three walkers, Carol. It’s not his fault two of them got out, he hurt himself fighting. And those two walkers were on us. I had to draw them off. It was her best chance,” Rick explained.

“Sounds like they didn’t have a choice, Carol,” Shane said.

“How was she supposed to find her way back on her own? She’s just a child. She’s just a child,” Carol cried softly.

“It was my only option. The only choice I could make,” Rick pleaded for her to understand.

“I’m sure nobody doubts that,” Shane sighed.

“My little girl got left in the woods,” Carol said weakly.

Everyone was silent. Lori and Andrea hugged her, trying to comfort her. Rick, Shane, Glenn, and Daryl exchanged looks. They tried not to look at Harry but he could feel they wanted to. Especially Glenn; he kept glancing at him. That boy couldn’t lie or be discreet if his life depends on it. The women had no qualm looking at him accusingly, though. After all, he was the first one who had Sophia. To them, if he hadn’t lost her in the first place, none of this would happen.

Harry had a feeling that he wouldn’t be with the group for long now. Well, it was only a matter of time anyway. But if he had to leave, then he would only leave after they found Sophia.

**~ To be continued ~**


	9. Chapter 08

The next morning, the group couldn’t find Harry. Rick, Shane, and Daryl who were on the lookout on turns all night never noticed him slip away. They got worried, with Shane bordering on angry.

“Where do you think he was going?” Lori asked.

“He blamed himself yesterday when we found him unconscious in the woods,” Rick sighed. “He probably went to search for Sophia himself.”

“That. Stupid. Bastard!” Shane cursed, kicking a crashed car at each emphasis.

“He left some instructions for the meds for me,” T-Dog came out of the RV, holding up the note.

“He’s probably alright,” Daryl said, looking at Rick, Shane, and Glenn meaningfully, “He can defend himself, remember?”

“Yeah,” Rick nodded, catching Daryl’s meaning. “He’s probably fine. Okay, look. We stay on the plan. Dale and T-Dog can stay here, maybe Harry will come back while we’re out there looking.”

“Or we would stumble on him in the woods,” Glenn said.

“There’s that,” Rick nodded.

They went to prepare. Rick laid down the collection of machetes Carl found the other day.

“Everybody takes a weapon,” Rick said.

“These aren’t the kind of weapons we need,” Andrea argued. “What about the guns?”

“We’ve been over that,” Shane growled, “Daryl, Rick, and I are carrying. We can’t have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles.”

“It’s not the trees I’m worried about,” Andrea glared at him.

“Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. See, then it’s game over for all of us. So you need to get over it!”

Andrea didn’t look pleased at all being snapped at like that. Others began to pick their own weapon. Lori and Glenn each took one. Carl looked at the collection and counted.

“We’re missing one machete,” Carl said.

“What?”

“I counted it yesterday. We’re missing one weapon,” Carl told his father.

“Harry probably took one,” Glenn suggested.

“Yeah, let’s hope so,” Rick sighed.

“The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around and come back down the other side. Chances are she’ll be by the creek. It’s her only landmark,” Daryl told them.

“Stay quiet and stay sharp,” Rick instructed. “Keep space between you but always stay within sight of each other.”

“Everybody assemble your packs,” Shane ordered. He had been irritable since they found out Harry was missing. T-Dog looked at him sympathetically while others didn’t get what his problem was.

“Dale, keep on those repairs. We’ve got to get this RV ready to move,” Rick said to Dale.

“We won’t stay here a minute longer than we have to,” Dale promised. “Good luck out there. Bring Sophia back.”

Rick nodded. “Keep an eye on Carl while we’re gone.”

“I’m going with you,” Carl interrupted. “You need people, right? To cover as much ground as possible.”

Rick groaned and looked at Lori.

“Your call. I can’t always be the bad guy,” Lori shook her head.

“Well, he has all of you to look after him. I’d say he’s in good hands,” Dale said.

“Okay. Okay,” Rick gave up, “But always within our sight, no exceptions.”

Carl nodded happily. He went to help Lori pack the things they needed while going out searching in the woods: bottles of water and snacks. Dale turned around to see Andrea walking towards him with intent.

“Andrea, I’m begging you,” Dale said, “Don’t put me in this position.”

“I’m not going out there without my gun,” Andrea said firmly. “I’ll even say please.”

Dale looked at her. “I’m doing this for you.”

“No, Dale, you’re doing it for you. You need to stop.” Dale was silent. “Oh what do you think’s gonna happen? I’m gonna stick it in my mouth and pull the trigger the moment you hand it to me?”

“I know you’re angry at me. That much is clear. But if I hadn’t done what I did, you’d be dead now.”

“Jenner gave us an option. I chose to stay,” Andrea reminded him.

“You chose suicide!”

“So what’s that to you? You barely know me.”

“I know Amy’s death devastated you…”

“Keep her out of this. This is not about Amy. This is about us. And if I decided that I had nothing left to live for, who the hell are you to tell me otherwise? To force my hand like that?”

“I saved your life,” Dale argued weakly.

“No, Dale. I saved yours,” she shot back. “You forced that on me. I didn’t want your blood on my hands and that is the only reason I left that building. What did you expect? What, I’d have some kind of epiphany? Some life-affirming catharsis?”

“Maybe just a little gratitude.”

“Gratitude?” Andrea said incredulously, “I wanted to die my way, not torn apart by drooling freaks. That was my choice. You took that away from me, Dale.”

“But…”

“But you know better?”

Dale was silent again. Everybody was looking at their little confrontation.

“All I wanted after my sister died was to get out of this endless horrific nightmare we live every day. I wasn’t hurting anyone else. You took my choice away, Dale. And you expect…,” Andrea looked bitterly amused, “gratitude?”

The old man looked hurt and lost. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

“I’m not your little girl. I’m not your wife. And I am sure as hell not your problem. That’s all there is to say,” Andrea said then walked past him.

Everyone watched as Andrea walked by and began to move themselves. Dale looked as lost as he felt when his wife died. T-Dog watched him with pity as the old man contemplating what had just happened.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Their search didn’t go well. They didn’t find either Sophia or Harry. Shane was worrying himself out of his mind. He even snapped at Carl. Not that it was something new. He did yesterday because he was still bitter about Lori and confused about what he had just learned about Harry.

And now the man was missing.

Going on a stupid solo mission to get the little girl back.

Shane was going to drill him into the ground when he finds him later. And he was going to find him, damn it! He thought he was going to have a heart attack when he saw the man was chased into the woods with Sophia by the walkers the other day. And then he found him unconscious on the ground with a dead walker, bathing in blood. He had never felt so relieved in his life when Harry snapped his brilliant green eyes open.

But after that, he learnt the younger man was some magician with hocus-pocus and whatever other tricks he could do. There were so many questions in his head. Suddenly, some of the things Harry did seemed to gain a new light. Like when he knew about Jim before Jacqui could even tell them about his bite. How he absolutely believed Jim wouldn’t make it and the way his eyes were glowing. He thought he was imagining things at the time but now, he was not sure. There was also Jenner who decided to take them in because he saw Harry, Shane did notice that one; the whispered conversations between the doctor and the scientist. Harry also asked something about his blood to him and…Jenner…he let them out after hearing what Harry said, about knowing what he was. The scientist knew Harry’s secret. Was he also the same as Harry? And there were so many other things he couldn’t think about at the moment.

He didn’t know what to think. So he did what he did best; avoid the problem. If he confronted the man, they would only end up in a fight. That was how it was whenever Shane confronts something or someone. He saw how lost Harry looked when Shane avoided him. There was even a flash of hurt in his eyes.

Maybe if he talked to him about it, instead of avoiding him, Harry wouldn’t go on his own like this. He would be here with them looking for Sophia together. He would know how he was doing, hell, could see it with his own eyes instead of wondering if the younger man was still alive, still human.

No, he had to be alive. For the sake of Shane’s sanity, he had to be alive!

Harry had been there for him since he appeared in their group. He had been most understanding for everything around him. Shane was just too stubborn to accept his offer at the camp. And when he finally accepted it, it felt like the weight of the world was just lifted off of him. Harry had been a good listener and gave him something to think about to help him and the more Shane thought about it the more he thought that maybe the younger man was right about the whole affair.

Shane snapped out of his musing when Daryl found a tent. They approached the tent carefully while never losing their attention from the surrounding area, just in case there were walkers around, Daryl in the lead. He motioned them to stop then pulled out a knife, checking the tent but didn’t see anything inside. He waved them closer.

After all of the tension and Carol’s hopeful words, though, they found nothing but rotting body inside the tent. The stench was horrible. Shane and Rick gagged and coughed outside the tent while Daryl entered bravely. Then they heard the bell, a sound that was usually produced by a large bell up on the steeple of a church.

They moved towards the direction of the sound until they found a church in the middle of a huge clearing surrounded by gravestones. There was no bell in sight, though.

“That can’t be it. Got no steeple, no bells,” Shane said.

But Rick already started running towards the church. They had no choice but to follow. They ran to the door as quietly as they could. Rick motioned them to be ready. When the door was open, there were only three walkers inside, sitting on the benches like devoted Christians. How laughable.

Still, no matter how laughable the scene was, it was nothing compared to the disappointment and anger he felt. No Harry and no Sophia. Rick, Daryl, and he began to butcher the geeks mercilessly. Daryl finished his target with one swing while he and Rick showed everyone their more brutal self, stabbing into the walkers even after the things weren’t moving anymore.

“Sophia!” Daryl shouted. No answer. He gave a look at the altar. “Hey, J.C. You taking requests?”

“I’m telling you, it’s the wrong church. It’s got no steeple, Rick,” Shane said. “There’s no steeple.”

Suddenly, as if wanting to say Shane was wrong, the bell rang in the air again. Louder this time since they were inside the church. Daryl burst into a run. They went outside just in time to see Glenn shut the timer on the speaker off. It was just a record of a bell ringing.

“A timer. It’s on timer,” Daryl said.

Everyone sighed disappointedly.

“I’m gonna go back in for a bit,” Carol said disappointedly.

Shane stood there as he watched around the field as everyone entered the church. Everyone except for him and Lori.

“What’s the matter with you?” Lori asked. “You keep getting angry and you take it out on us, on Carl.”

“What? Isn’t that what you want? For me to stay away from you and Carl, to not talk to you anymore, that your family is off limits to me now? So, that way you two and Rick can be a happy family again?” Shane sneered.

“I didn’t mean it like that. Especially if you’re treating Carl like shit!” Lori hissed.

“I didn’t treat him like shit! So, I’m not as open to him as before, so what? What do you expect? I have other things on my mind, too, you know!”

“What happened between us…”

“Have nothing to do with this, okay?” Shane growled. “You’re the one who wants me to forget about it, so why do you keep bringing it up?”

Lori didn’t answer.

“We have two missing members, right now. Can we stop talking about this until after we find them? The world doesn’t revolve around you, Lori. Stop being so selfish and self-centered!”

“What…How could you…!”

“God, I can’t believe this…,” Shane snorted in irony. “Harry was right!”

“What? You listening to him now? Do you know what he said to me? He practically said that I’m useless and conceited…”

“Well, he’s kinda right, isn’t he? You never did anything more than whatever little things you’re willing to do since the world ended. The others worked harder than you ever did, including Harry.”

“Well, as useless as I am, at least I’m not the one who lost the girl!”

“Shut up, Lori! You shut up! Harry didn’t lose her. He fought three walkers to protect her. Your husband is the one who lost her!”

“He…!”

“I don’t wanna talk anymore, all right? Especially not with you of all people!”

Lori shot him a hurt look before turning around and stomping back into the church. Shane sighed heavily. He looked up to see Andrea standing on the side of the church. Shane scoffed at himself. That conversation would sure bring misunderstanding now. He turned to make a round on the field but Andrea chased after him.

“Why are you defending Harry so much?” Andrea asked. “You’re not the type to defend a stranger so easily. What did he do to deserve that?”

“What did he do to you to deserve your hate?”

“He insulted Amy’s memories and death!”

“Did he?” Shane asked. “Or did he just speak brutally honest to you so his words would drill through your thick skull instead of just being ignored? Stubborn people need cruel words to make them listen to what they don’t wanna hear, right? Like what you did to Dale. What gives you the right to despise others for doing what you did?”

That shut her up.

“Maybe if you’re not so stubborn, you would understand what he was trying to say. That he didn’t do it just to be cruel,” Shane said.

“You didn’t know what he said to me!”

“Then tell me, what was so bad about what he said that makes you hate him so much when you were almost friends before?”

“He…,” Andrea trailed off, her eyes welled up with tears. “He…said…that Amy asked him to…take care of me…”

“And that’s bad?” Shane threw her an incredulous look.

“He belittled my pain!”

“Did he really? You do know what he’s doing right now, out here and alone, right? Is that the type of a person that would look down on your pain?”

Andrea opened her mouth but no words came out. She looked uncertain. Shane scoffed at her.

“Why don’t you take a little time to think about it first while I check around this place in peace, huh?”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Got to move here, man. These people are spent,” Shane said as he approached Rick after he made his round. He found nothing. “There’s only so many hours of daylight left. We still got a long way back.”

“I can’t stop yet.”

“We still got a lot of ground to cover, whole other side of the Creek Bed. So we search that on the way back,” Shane suggested.

“She would have heard those church bells. She could be nearby.”

“She could be a lot of things.”

“I can’t go back. Her being out here is my fault.”

“That’s great. Now they got you doubting yourself, huh?”

“What about you? You doubt me?”

“Hey, we can assign all kinds of blame.”

“This means something, finding her. It would be the miracle we need. We can’t give up,” Rick insister. “Don’t forget about Harry. He was out here, too.”

Shane’s face hardened. “I didn’t forget about either Harry or Sophia.” Then he sighed. He walked back to the group, clearing his throat catching their attention. “Ahem…uh…Y’all gonna follow the Creek Bed back, okay? Daryl, you’re in charge. Me and Rick, we’re just gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so just to be thorough.”

“You’re splitting us up? You sure?” Daryl asked.

“Yeah, we’ll catch up to you,” Shane nodded sighing.

“I want to stay too,” Carl said. “I’m her friend.”

Shane looked at his best friend. He couldn’t help but smile at the look on his face. Rick threw a look at Lori, asking her help. She smiled, walking up to Carl.

“Just be careful, okay?” she hugged him.

“I will,” Carl promised.

“I’ll be along soon enough,” Rick pulled out his handgun and gave it to her, “Here, take this. Remember how to use it?”

“I’m not taking your gun and leaving you unarmed,” Lori shook her head.

“Here, got a spare. Take it,” Daryl said, handing her a small handgun.

Andrea watched in disbelief and scoffed bitterly at the unfairness. Shane watched them walked across the field back to the highway.

“Give me a minute?” Rick asked as he left them to go back to the church.

“Yeah,” Shane looked at Carl. He smiled and ruffled his hair, earning a smile in return from the boy. “Come on.”

They waited outside of the church sitting on the front steps. They could faintly hear Rick’s talk and prayer inside from where they were. Both man and boy just looked ahead and didn’t say anything when they heard Rick’s angry growl. Seconds later, Rick came out.

“Get what you needed?” Shane asked.

“Guess I’ll find out,” Rick answered.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“So this is it? This the whole plan?” Carol asked as she sat on a fallen tree trunk, stopping everyone.

The group had walked through the forest for quite awhile, following their previous track back with Daryl on the lead.

“I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups,” Daryl shrugged.

“Carrying knives and pointy sticks,” Andrea added. She gave Lori a look. “I see you have a gun.”

“Why, you want it? Here, take it,” she handed her the gun. “I’m sick of the looks you’re giving me. All of you.”

Andrea looked at her, but took it anyway. That was what she wanted after all, to have a gun. Lori sat beside Carol.

“Honey, I can’t imagine what you’re going through. And I would do anything to stop it,” she said to the upset mother. “But you have got to stop blaming Rick. It is in your face every time you look at him. When Sophia and Harry ran he didn’t hesitate, did he? Not for a second. And now this, he’s not even the one who got her into the woods or lost her in the first place. He found her and hid her and be bait himself to the walkers so she would be safe. I don’t know that any of us would have gone after them the way he did or made the hard decisions that he had to make or that anybody could have done it any differently.”

Silence.

“Anybody?” she asked pointedly.

Everyone looked down.

“Y’all look to him and then you blame him when he’s not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you,” she huffed.

No one said anything. Lori looked up when she saw Andrea returning the gun to her. There was a guilty look on her face. She took the gun back.

“We should keep moving,” Andrea reminded.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

After doing another sweep on the church ground, they decided to look at the other side of the woods. The three of them walked in silence, sweeping their eyes on the surrounding area looking for any sign either of life or walkers. Ten minutes into their walk, they heard some rustling that made them pause and alert.

They went to the direction Rick believed was the source of the sound. They stopped and lowered their guns, though, when they saw that that something was a deer. Alive and well and big enough for dinner and breakfast. Shane lifted his gun to shoot but Rick stopped him, nodding to an amazed Carl.

He couldn’t help but smiled at the awe on the boy’s face. So they let him to approach the deer carefully as not to frighten it. They held their breath as Carl got closer and closer. Just went he was about to reach a touching distance, something they didn’t expect happened.

A shot rang through the air. Hitting the deer clean and through to Carl. The boy flew backward from the shot and landed on the ground at the same time the deer landed. Both men were stunned.

“Oh, no…no no no!”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The group stopped walking when they saw Lori stopped, looking behind.

“You still worrying about it?” Andrea asked.

“It was a gunshot,” Lori replied.

“We all heard it.”

“Why one? Why just one gunshot?”

“Maybe they took down a walker,” Daryl shrugged.

“Please don’t patronize me. You know Rick wouldn’t risk a gunshot to put down one walker, or Shane. They’d do it quietly,” Lori said.

“Shouldn’t they have caught up with us by now?” Carol asked.

“There’s nothing we can do about it, anyway,” Daryl sighed. “Can’t run around these woods chasing echoes.”

“So, what do we do?”

“Same as we’ve been. Beat the bush for Sophia and Harry, work our way back to the highway.”

“I’m sure they’ll hook up with us back at the RV,” Andrea assured her.

Lori nodded. Everyone began to get moving, except for Carol who looked lost. Andrea approached her.

“I’m sorry about what you’re going through. I know how you feel,” Andrea told her.

“I suppose you do. Thank you,” Carol nodded. “The thought of her, out here by herself. It’s the not knowing that’s killing me. I just keep hoping and praying she doesn’t wind up like Amy.”

Andrea was stunned. Carol gasped as she realized what she said.

“Oh, God! That’s the worst thing I ever said,” she grabbed Andrea’s hand in apology.

“We’re all hoping and praying with you, for what it’s worth,” Andrea smiled understandingly.

“I’ll tell you what it’s worth. Not a damn thing! It’s a waste of time, all this hoping and praying,” Daryl said impatiently to everyone’s shock. “We’re gonna locate that little girl. She’s gonna be just fine.”

Everybody looked at him in surprise.

“Am I the only one Zen around here? Good Lord,” Daryl walked off quickly.

They had a feeling he was feeling embarrassed. Carol looked a little more relieved. Lori had to stifle a smile at the man’s uncharacteristic show of caring for others. They continued their walk for another hour.

Suddenly, there was a rustling and something stumbled and rolling down from the upper ground. Daryl lifted his crossbow in ready. Everyone was tensed. The thing rolled down and came to a stop when it hit a tree with a grunt. It was a body.

Daryl approached the body carefully, weapon ready. The others stood there, waiting. The body was half covered in leaves from its rolling adventure from the higher ground. Daryl could tell it was a man, though. The body was unresponsive. Daryl stretched his leg and tapped the body. No response. He used his feet to turn it around and he was surprise at who he found.

“It’s Harry!” Daryl reported. He crouched down to check on the man.

“What?!”

“Is he alive?”

“He hit his head, but he’s alive,” Daryl said as the others crowded around them.

“What’s he doing here?”

“He looks like he just fought a herd of walkers,” Lori said worriedly.

“Harry! Hey, Harry! Wake up!” Daryl slapped the unconscious man softly.

“Do you think he got a concussion from the hit?” Glenn asked.

Suddenly, Harry snapped his eyes and gasped up. His eyes roamed around wildly before he sighed in relief, though he still looked confused.

“Hey, you okay, man?” Glenn asked.

“I…what happened?”

“You fell and hit your head, man,” Glenn told him.

“Looks like that’s a habit of yours, huh?” Daryl smirked.

“Oh shut up…” Harry grumbled.

“What happened, Harry? Why did you go missing like that? What if something happened?” Carol asked.

“I…Sophia…”

“You found her? Where?”

“No…I lost the trail…,” Harry looked down. “Sorry…”

Then Andrea, who was the only one who didn’t approach the unconscious man because she was still bitter, looked to the side when she heard soft snarl and saw a walker approaching her quickly with its hands reaching out to her. Andrea screamed as she tried to get away but only ended getting farther away from the group.

“Andrea!”

“Guess we know why you fell and rolled around on the ground, now,” Daryl jumped up with his crossbow.

“Hey!”

**~ To be continued ~**


	10. Chapter 09

Andrea’s attack didn’t end up like they expected. It was not one of their group that saved her, but a young woman who came in riding a horse with a bat in her hand. She hit the walker over the head hard enough to send it sliding across the ground. If he wasn’t so tired, Harry would have laughed at the whole scene.

He didn’t lie when he said he lost the trail. He only spent about half an hour the night before following the direction his wand pointed before the spell failed. After that, no matter how many times he tried the spell, the wand only spun around madly before falling back on his palm. He knew what that meant.

Sophia was gone.

Harry spent the next hours sniffling and beating himself up. He felt so guilty for failing the girl. He didn’t dare going back to the highway. He didn’t know how to face Carol and the others. He didn’t know if he wanted to go back. He fell asleep for about an hour in the woods before waking up from nightmares. Then he just stumbled around lifelessly, didn’t know what to do or where to go.

When he heard the bell earlier, he went there but stopped at the edge of the woods when he saw the group running towards the church. They were probably looking for a little girl that was already gone but no one knew it except Harry. He turned around and tracked back his steps. He didn’t expect to stumble into the group’s path, though. But he was tired and hungry and didn’t have any sleep since his nightmares, so he stumbled and fell and just let it go.

Now that the group found him, he didn’t dare to make any eye contact with anyone. Call him horrible, but he was grateful when he heard Andrea’s scream, for it drew all the attention away from him.

“Lori! Lori Grimes?” The woman on the horse asked Andrea.

“I’m Lori,” Lori answered as they ran up to the pair.

“Rick sent me. You got to come now,” she said.

“What?”

“There’s been an accident. Carl’s been shot,” she said again, “He’s still alive but you gotta come now.”

Lori looked stunned.

“Rick needs you! Just come!”

That got her moving.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Daryl exclaimed, “We don’t know this girl. You can’t get on that horse.”

“Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?” the woman asked.

“Uh-huh,” Glenn nodded dumbly. He was still stunned by the knight in the shining armor scene.

“Backtrack to Fairburn road. Two miles down is our farm. You’ll see the mailbox. Name’s Greene.”

Just when she was about to ride with Lori away, her passenger stopped her.

“Wait wait! Carl’s been shot. Shouldn’t he need a doctor?” Lori looked at Harry.

“You a doctor? Like physician?” the woman asked Harry.

“Yeah. Just go. I’ll catch up,” Harry waved them off.

“Okay. Be quick,” Lori nodded.

Then they were off. The walker from before got up. Its brain still intact it seemed. Daryl took a shot at it right in the head. Harry looked at the group.

“Anyone got water? My throat feels like sandpaper…” Harry rasped.

Glenn quickly handed a bottle to him. Carol looked at Harry tentatively. Harry sighed in relief as he gulped down the water.

“I’m sorry, Carol…I tried…” he said softly.

Carol shook her head. She pulled him into a hug much to his surprise. “It’s okay… It’s not your fault…You just risked your life all night looking for her, I can’t ask for more. I’m just glad we didn’t lose any more of our people…”

Harry sniffed softly. “Sorry…should have tried harder…”

“It’s okay…we’re gonna find her…we’re gonna find her…”

Harry almost choked at her words. Hearing so much hope and desperation in her voice, he didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. He pulled away and gave a forced smile, instead.

“I should…go…Carl…he…”

She nodded.

“You going there, now? Shouldn’t we go back to the highway, first?” Glenn asked.

“Yeah, what if you’re lost?” Andrea said.

“I’ll find my way, don’t you worry. All I need to do is look for Rick or Lori,” Harry said.

“What?”

“You should take this,” Daryl handed him a machete. “I see you lost yours.”

“Ah, yeah…thank you. See you later,” Harry said before leaving.

“Wait, isn’t that dangerous? Why do you guys let him go alone like that?” Andrea protested.

“I agree with Andrea here,” Carol said.

“He’ll be able to defend himself. He just survived a night out here. Now, let’s head back,” Daryl said turning around.

Harry could still hear the disbelief in the women’s protest but Daryl knew what he could do and since Glenn knew that Daryl knew, he would trust his judgment. Harry didn’t want to be in their presence at the moment. Carol, especially. It was just too hard. After they were out of sight, Harry pulled out his wand.

“Point me Lori Grimes.”

Then he followed the direction. After about half an hour walk, he reached the edge of the woods. There was a huge land and farm beyond the woods. Harry could see a large white house in the middle of the land. As he got closer to the house, passing the fence, he saw a familiar figure running towards him.

It was Shane.

“Son of a bitch! I can’t believe it!” Shane snarled.

“Shane…?”

Then, unexpectedly, Shane punched him right in the jaw. Harry dropped to the ground with a surprise yelp. He let out a cry of pain.

“You fucking idiot!” Shane shouted at him. “What do you think you’re doing going off on your own like that, huh?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?! God, I can’t believe this! I know you don’t think much of your safety but I didn’t think you’re suicidal!”

“Shane, stop!” That was Rick.

Harry groaned. He looked up to see Shane was being restrained by Rick. Lori, the woman from earlier, and an old man were standing on the porch of the house, watching.

“Did you ever think of what would happen to us if you died?! You’re the only doctor in our group! You of all people should be protected, not risking your life like that! And instead of going back with the group and come here together, you decided to come here on your own! Are you that stupid?!”

“Shane! Calm down!”

Harry got up, moving his jaw experimentally and winced at the pain. He looked at Shane. The other man looked like a mess. His face was flushed with anger, no, fury.

“I’m sorry…” Harry said softly, looking down on the ground.

“Damn right you’re sorry! You should be sorry for making us worry like that! For making me worry like that!”

Then Shane yanked out off Rick’s grip. He grabbed Harry and pulled him into a fierce hug. Harry yelped in surprise, automatically grabbing at Shane’s arms. Rick and Lori had bewildered look on their faces while the Greenes just watched interestedly.

“I thought I had lost you…” Shane mumbled into his shoulder.

Harry blushed. “I’m sorry I made you worry…”

Someone coughed awkwardly. They pulled apart to see Rick was looking at them with an unreadable look on his face. Harry smiled anxiously at him. The old man on the porch approached them.

“I heard you’re a doctor,” the old man said offering his hand, “I’m Hershel Greene.”

“Harry Potter-Black,” Harry accepted the hand.

“I have to say I’m glad you got a doctor in your group seeing as I’m only a veterinarian. Do you want to see the boy?”

“I should. Where is he?”

“Follow me,” Hershel motioned to him. “From what I checked, the bullet didn’t go through clean. It broke up into pieces. I’m counting on six.”

“That’s not good,” Harry muttered.

“Yeah. We have to get the fragments out. The boy also lost a lot of blood. Luckily, his father has the same blood type. We already did a transfusion. But the boy needs a surgery.”

Harry entered the bedroom and immediately checked on Carl. Hershel lent him his kits. The boy looked bad but still alive and in pain. He checked and double checked everything. It was just like Hershel said.

“What? How is it? Is it really that bad?” Lori asked worriedly when they stepped out of the room.

“Yeah. He needs major surgery. But we don’t have the tools,” Harry sighed.

“Can’t you do something? Anything at all? You know, with your…please?” Rick begged.

Harry looked at him. “I can, but there are conditions.”

“Anything. I’ll do anything. Just please save my boy.”

“No one is to get inside the room while I’m working. If I need help, I’ll call you or Shane, but anyone else is not allowed into the room. And no one asks questions, that means you and Shane can’t tell anyone at all about what you know,” Harry said firmly.

“Okay. I promise. I swear,” Rick agreed readily.

“Me too,” Shane nodded.

“What? What is it? What are you going to do?” Lori demanded.

“Okay, I’m gonna go back in there. Y’all wait here.”

Lori grabbed Harry’s arm and stopped him. “If you’re going to do something to my son, I’ve to know what it is. I won’t let you do anything if I don’t know if it’s safe or not!”

“Lori, let him go! He can save Carl. Any question you have you can ask later after he helps Carl, all right?” Rick pulled her back.

“No, I don’t trust him. Not if I don’t know what he’s going to do to my son.”

“Well, bitch. Then let us wait until your boy dies,” Harry shot back coldly.

“No!” Rick shouted. “You go in there, Harry. Do what you need to do. I’ll stop her if she tries anything. I’ll knock her out myself if I have to!”

“Rick!!”

“He’s right. Go, Harry. I’ll guard the door,” Shane said.

With that, Harry went back into the room and locked the door. He could hear Lori’s angry protest and Rick trying to calm her down. Hershel sounded confused and curious about what he was going to do.

Harry pulled out his wand. With a flick, all of the windows were closed and the curtains turned solid black so that no one can peek inside. All exits were sealed magically. He unclasped his necklace and canceled the charm on the pendant. The tiny trunk kept enlarging until it reached its original size on the floor, which was pretty big.

He opened the trunk and went to the fifth compartment where he stored everything about magical healings. The trunk was magically enlarged on the inside with seven compartments. Harry jumped into the fifth compartment and landed inside a room. There were a library of wizarding books and a potions lab inside. Harry went to his lab and was grateful to see he still had some muggle-grade potions in stock. He got the blood replenisher, the pain reliever, and the dreamless sleep. On his way out, he grabbed a book from one of his bookshelves.

Once he was out, he skimmed the contents of the book, refreshing his memory of the spells he needed to heal the boy. He opened the bandages, sent a numbing spell on the area around the wound before cutting the wound open carefully with a spell. He accio-ed the bullet fragments one by one carefully. He could banish them but he had never done it before on a patient and he didn’t want to accidentally banish an organ instead. No, accio was more specific and safer. Once he was sure there were no more fragments, he healed the tiny wounds inside before closing them all. There was a scar left once he was finished but it can be dealt with later. The boy groaned softly. Well, the area around his wound was still tender after all and the numbing spell was a weak one so it didn’t last long. It would need time until everything went back to normal.

“Ennervate.”

Carl opened his eyes. Harry cradled his head up and brought the potion to his lips.

“Drink this, Carl. It would help you with the pain,” Harry said. The boy scrunched up his nose at the smell. “I know it smells bad but what medicine doesn’t, right? Trust me, it’ll chase away the pain.”

Carl drank it and when he looked like he was going to throw up, Harry closed his palm around his mouth.

“Sorry, no gagging and no throwing up,” he smiled pleasantly. “Now, another one. This one will help you to regain your blood.”

The boy drank again without protest this time. And again, Harry had to stop him from throwing up. Then when he handed him the dreamless sleep, the boy looked at him accusingly even though Harry was sure he was still delirious from his ordeal. Harry grinned.

“I know, I know…they’re nasty. But this one is almost tasteless and will help you sleep without nightmares.”

When all of the potions were drunk, Harry laid the boy back on the bed. He sighed and winced at the pain he felt on his jaw. Man, Shane really could pack a punch. With another swish of his wand, the pain faded as was the bruise that just began to form. He returned everything into his trunk, shrunk it back into pendant size and canceled all the spells on the room. The curtains turned normal and the windows and door were unlocked once again. After he was sure all signs of magic were gone, he opened the door. Everyone looked up from their place when the door was opened.

“How is he?” Rick jumped to his feet. “Please tell me he’s alright. Please!”

“If anything happens to my boy…”

“Lori, shut up!”

“He’s fine,” Harry interrupted them. “I got the bullet fragments out and closed the wounds on the inside and the outside. He still has to be careful, though, because the area around his wound is still tender. He could tear it again with the wrong movement…from the inside most likely. There’s a still pinkish scar but it can be dealt with later if he wants.”

“So he’s fine?” Shane asked.

“He’s as good as new, except for the scar. The fragments are on the side table, if you want a memento,” Harry smiled.

“Thank you, thank you!” Rick pulled Harry into his arms, hugging him in gratitude as tight as he could. “Thank you so much, Harry!”

“I wanna see my boy,” Lori growled as she walked past them and into the room.

“I…,” Rick pulled away.

“Go,” Harry nodded, “He still asleep, though. And will be until morning.”

“Thank you once again, Harry,” Rick grinned weakly and with that, disappeared into the room.

“How did you do that?” Hershel asked him with amazement and incredulity.

“I’m a miracle worker,” Harry shrugged.

“No, it has to be more than that. You said you closed the wound and left a scar. That means the wound was healed in…what? The fifteen minutes you’re in there? How?”

Harry’s smile was freezing now. “No questions ask. That’s the price,” he said.

“Come on, Harry,” Shane touched his shoulder, “You look like you’re about to fall on your feet. You’ve been in the woods since last night. You must be tired.”

“I saw a pretty comfortable looking chair on the side porch earlier. I’ll just sit there for a bit if it’s not intruding,” Harry looked at Hershel for permission.

The man had a calculating look in his eyes that he didn’t like, but Harry was too damn tired to give a damn right now.

“Actually, why don’t you go wash up a bit? You can rest on the couch in the living room. It’s comfortable. I’m sorry we don’t have any more spare rooms,” Hershel suggested.

“That’s very generous of you,” Harry smiled politely.

“Maggie, go get Doctor Potter-Black a spare set of clean clothes and a pillow and blanket for the couch,” Hershel instructed to the young woman who came to get Lori earlier.

“Okay, Dad,” she said.

“It’s Harry, please. Just Harry…if you don’t want me to call you Doctor Greene,” Harry joked.

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind at all,” Hershel laughed.

“And after you’re resting, we’re gonna have a talk about your heroism and bravery for going on an adventure on your own,” Shane couldn’t put more sarcasm in his voice if he tries.

Harry grimaced. “Yes, Mom,” he replied cheekily.

The look on Shane’s face was priceless.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The room was filled with steam as the hot water poured out of the showerhead. Harry didn’t care about that. He was busy watching his own reflection in the mirror. The man he saw in the reflective surface looked haggard with two dark patches under his eyes. His skin was pale and looked unhealthy. He suddenly looked his age, maybe even older.

The bruise on his head and scratches he got from spending the night on the woods were gone by now. So far, no one noticed how fast he healed but he doubted it would last for long, especially now with how he miraculously healed Carl. It didn’t matter. He would do it again if he had to. He already failed a little girl. He won’t add another child into the list, not if he had any say on it.

It was his entire fault; him and his need for secrecy. If only he came right out about who he was, he could prevent so many things from happening. Amy would still be alive. The others at the camp that he never got the chance to get to know…they would still be alive. Jim would still be alive. Sophia would still be alive. So many lives…and he still clung too much to his secret. Hadn’t he learned enough from Dumbledore and his need for secrecy? He should have known better!

Then the mirror in front of him cracked with spidery patterns. Harry stared at the way his face was deformed in the mirror. He sighed and waved his hand. The mirror repaired itself. He picked up the electric shaver and scissors and started to work. Locks by locks of hair fell into the sink and when he was finished, he looked just like when he was in fifth year, only older.

He sighed. He banished the hairs and went into the tub and started showering, letting his body relaxed under the assault of steaming water. Twenty minutes later, he finished his shower. Maggie gave him a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans she said she got from Jimmy, her sister’s boyfriend, since they were about the same size. Turned out, Harry was a bit smaller and shorter for the clothes but it was fit enough.

Shane was waiting for him on the couch when he arrived downstairs along with Rick sitting on the recliner. They were talking quietly until they noticed him.

“Hey,” Shane smiled at him.

“Hey yourself,” Harry returned the smile.

“Here,” Shane patted the spot beside him.

“Harry,” Rick said as Harry took his spot, “I want to say that I’m really, really grateful for whatever you have done to save Carl. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to him.”

Harry allowed an understanding look on his face. “Hey, no need for that. I’m a doctor. It comes with the job,” Harry told him.

“Still, I owe you,” Rick said. “If there’s anything I can do for you, don’t be a stranger, all right? I’d do my best to help you in return. You saved my son’s life.”

“I’ll remember that,” Harry nodded. He knew if he refused, the man would never leave him alone until he accepts the offer. He was just that stubborn with high morality.

Shane cleared his throat loudly. Harry turned to see him sending a meaningful look to Rick before schooling his expression when he realized Harry was looking. Rick looked amused and confused at the same time. Harry, on the other hand, was feeling anxious. Shane had promised him a talk after all, which could be translated into scolding.

“Well, I’m going back to Lori and Carl,” Rick said and patted Shane on the shoulder, “Go easy on him, Shane.”

Shane smirked. When Rick was out of sight, Harry looked over at Shane nervously.

“Er…You’re not…going to chew me up and spit the remains out, are you?” Harry asked tentatively.

“What do you think I am? A walker?” Shane scoffed. “But I’m tempted, just so you know. You’re really stupid for all of that, but I already punched you so let’s call it even. Just…don’t do anything like that again. Next time you feel like running off on your own, tell me so you have back up, all right?”

Harry nodded, stifling a yawn.

“Well, I’ll let you get some sleep now,” Shane moved to get up but Harry stopped him.

“Stay with me, please?” Harry mumbled sleepily.

“What? You want me cuddle with you?” Shane was amused.

“Anything will do, just…stay with me,” Harry said as he laid his head down on the fluffy pillow.

“We won’t fit on the couch. I’ll just sit here,” Shane sat down on the floor in front of the couch, holding Harry’s hand. “And only until you’re asleep. I’d like a shower too if Hershel doesn’t mind. I’m all sticky and stink like the dead.”

Harry giggled.

“You’re giggling,” Shane blinked. “Man, you must be more exhausted than we think.”

“I don’t know how to tell them…,” Harry said in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper.

“About what?”

“Sophia…”

Shane looked surprise. “You found her?” he asked in lower voice.

“No…,” Harry shook his head. “Remember what I did in the woods with my wand? The point-me spell…”

Shane nodded.

“I did it again last night…for about half an hour and then the spell was canceled. I tried it again but it only spun and spun and spun around madly…then fell back on my palm. No matter how many times I did it…the same thing always happened. That only happens for two reasons…”

“What?” Shane asked already dreading the worst.

“That the person you’re looking for is hiding with magic, which I doubt is what happened in Sophia’s case…or…that person is nowhere to be find…They’re not with the living anymore…” Harry whispered brokenly. Shane closed his eyes in despair. “I don’t know how to tell them…That’s why I walked here on my own…I just can’t stand facing Carol for a moment longer…”

“Harry…”

“What should I tell them…?”

“You won’t tell them anything,” Shane said firmly. “They won’t believe you without her body as proof, anyway. Just…let them hope…until we find her body…”

“You think that’s the right thing to do?”

“I don’t know…but it’s better that way for now.”

“I don’t think I can do this alone…”

“You don’t have to do anything alone, Harry. You just told me about what happened…we do this together, all right?”

“All right…”

“You cut your hair,” Shane said after a pause. “I like it longer.”

“…hoping I could cut my failure away…”

Shane sighed. “Sleep, Harry.”

“G’night, Shane…,” Harry said drifting off.

“G’night, Harry.”

**~ To be continued ~**


	11. Chapter 10

Harry woke up to the sound of roaring and rumbling engines. The roaring one sounded familiar. Then he remembered that it was the sound of Daryl’s motorbike. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he got up. He looked around and recognized the room as Hershel’s living room. He heard noises from outside.

When he opened the door, everybody was outside the house, greeting their group who had just arrived. He looked around and raised an eyebrow at Shane’s appearance.

“How is he?” Dale asked Rick.

“He’ll pull through, thank to Hershel and his people…,” Lori looked at Harry reluctantly, “And Harry…”

“Especially Harry,” Rick grinned. “We’d have lost Carl if not for him.”

Dale looked relieved. He pulled Rick into a friendly hug.

“Thank God,” Carol breathed as she also gave Lori a hug. “We were so worried.”

“How’d it happen?” Dale asked as he pulled away.

“Hunting accident. That’s all. Just a stupid accident,” Rick shook his head as if he still couldn’t believe something like that could happen to his son.

Dale walked towards Harry with a smile and open arms. “Hey there, kid. I’m glad you’re okay. You had us worried,” Dale said as he hugged him.

“I know. Sorry.” Harry smiled.

“Don’t do something like that again, you hear me?” Dale said, waving a finger at him.

“I promise,” Harry nodded.

“Good morning,” Shane smiled at him as he climbed up the steps.

“Hey, what’s with the farmer look?” Harry grinned, eyeing his baggy red checker shirt and overall jeans.

“It’s Otis’. He lent them to me last night after I showered.” Shane shrugged.

“And the hair?” This time he eyed the almost bald head.

“It had gotten too long so I shaved it.”

“You mean bigger. With how curly your hair is, if it grows anymore, you’d be sporting an Afro,” Harry chortled.

“Hey!”

Everyone who had heard him laughed at the comment. T-Dog and Glenn were nodding in agreement while Rick was grinning widely, he obviously agreed too. Suddenly, there was a soft rumbling sound and everyone looked at Harry.

“Sorry, haven’t eat anything since…uh…two nights ago.” he smiled sheepishly.

“I guess it’s time for breakfast then,” Hershel said. “The girls have just finished preparing the food.” Then he looked at the rest of the group. “I’ll have to apologize, though, that there’s not enough for all of us. We didn’t know when you guys would come.”

“We can prepare some more,” Maggie spoke up. “Wouldn’t take long.”

“That’s very nice of you. Thank you,” Dale said sincerely.

“It’s the least we can do after shooting your little boy,” Otis said guiltily.

“Hey, it was an accident,” Rick reassured him.

“Okay then. Let’s get inside,” Hershel motioned to them.

“First things first, I wanna check on my patients,” Harry looked at T-Dog. “That means you too, big guy.”

T-Dog grimaced much too everyone’s amusement.

“Uh…,” Lori looked unsure.

Harry smirked. “You guys can come in and see if you want,” he said much to Rick and Lori’s relief.

Carl woke up when Harry checked on him. According to Rick, it was the second time he woke up in half an hour.

“How is he?” Lori asked.

“He’s fine. There’s a slight fever…Do you feel any pain?” Harry asked the boy.

“No…,” Carl shook his head weakly.

“Okay. You should be up and running by tomorrow but I want you to take it easy anyway. We don’t want you to tear anything open. I’ll give you a pill for the fever. You take it after breakfast, all right?”

“All right,” Carl nodded.

“So about the scar…what do you wanna do about it?”

“You mean he can get rid of the scar?” Rick asked.

“That’s impossible.” Lori said.

“Healing your son in ten minutes is impossible. I did it anyway,” Harry shrugged.

Lori didn’t have anything to say to that.

“What’s the difference? Getting rid of the scar and not?” Rick asked.

“Well…if you don’t want to, then nothing. It’s just like your scar from when you got shot. It will heal and strengthen with time and give him a cool scar to make up cool stories to impress the girls when he grows up,” Harry smirked.

Rick chuckled and even Lori had to smile at that.

“I want to have the scar…It’d be cool like dad’s,” Carl said, making his parents laugh.

Harry shrugged. “Your choice, buddy,” Harry grinned. “Now, I’m gonna go see the big guy. Oh, here’s the pill for his fever. Give it to him only when he has the fever. If it’s gone then give the meds back, would ya? We have to be careful with our supplies.”

“Thanks, Harry.” Rick said as he caught the bottle of meds.

“Yeah…thanks, Harry.” Lori said sincerely for the first time.

“You’re welcome,” Harry said before calling out as he walked out the door. “T-Dog! Your turn!”

There was a muffled groan from the dining room. The rest of the group was enjoying their breakfast. T-Dog had a mouthful of scrambled eggs when Harry stepped into the room. He looked at the doctor pleadingly. Harry rolled his eyes.

“Oh, all right. After breakfast,” he said as he took a seat beside Shane.

“How’s Carl?” Carol asked.

“He’s fine. Has a little fever but that’s mostly from the stress of everything that happened,” Harry said into his glass of orange juice.

“That’s good,” Shane cut in, earning a grateful look from the younger man. “Now eat your breakfast. You haven’t eaten since yesterday. Hershel’s daughters are really good with their scrambled eggs and beans.”

“Thank you,” Maggie grinned as she placed a plate in front Harry.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Harry asked around a mouthful of eggs.

“Well, Otis will help us set up a camp near the house. Hershel told us about the best spot under some trees.” Shane told him.

“After that, we’re going to come up with some plan to look for Sophia.” Glenn added.

“That’s great.” Harry forced a smile on his face.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry took another shower after breakfast. Shane, Rick and Lori had already taken theirs before he woke up. It was just Andrea and Carol after that since the men wanted to start setting up the camp first. Harry checked on T-Dog first, letting the women take their turns before him.

When he finished, he found everybody else was on the camp spot. He saw Rick, Shane, Daryl and Hershel were discussing something with Andrea and Maggie watching. There was a map spread on the hood of Rick’s car.

Approaching them, Harry saw that Rick had changed into his favorite officer uniform. It was clean, now. He had a feeling the man was clinging too much to that memory. Sometimes, it seemed he was running from the ugly reality their lives were now. Shane had already changed into his own clothes now that the RV was here. He had a feeling the man didn’t like him teasing him about his farmer look. Too bad. Harry was looking forward to tease him some more.

“I hate to be the one to ask, but somebody’s got to. What happens if we find her and she’s bit?”

Harry stopped on his tracks behind the group when he heard that.

“I think we should all be clear on how we handle that. You do what has to be done.”

“And her mother? What do you tell her?” Maggie asked incredulously.

“The truth,” Andrea sighed.

“I’ll gather and secure all the weapons. Make sure no one’s carrying till we’re at a practice range off site. I do request one rifleman on lookout. Dale’s got experience.” Shane suggested.

Hershel didn’t look like he was fond of the idea.

“Our people would feel safer, less inclined to carry a gun.” Rick tried to persuade him.

The old man thought some more before he sighed and nodded reluctantly.

“Thank you.”

“Do you people have any more medical supplies? Antibiotics, bandages, anything like that?” Maggie asked again.

“There are some more in the RV,” Harry said softly, earning everyone’s attentions. “But if I remember it right, we don’t have that much of supplies anymore. I used up the bandages and meds for T-Dog’s injuries, had to re-stitch his wound and everything. There was also Jim before that…”

Everyone except the Greene’s looked grim remembering their fallen member.

“We’re running short already. I should make a run into town. There’s a pharmacy just a mile down the road,” Maggie told them. “I’ve done it before.”

Rick looked at her and gestured for her with his hand. “See our man there in the baseball cap? That’s Glenn, our go-to-town expert. I’d ask him along just to be cautious.”

Hershel looked at his daughter, nodding. Maggie went to talk to Glenn while the others were already splitting up around the camp. Shane walked up to him while Rick and Hershel kept talking.

“Hey, you heard that? What I asked?” Shane asked softly as he guided them to a picnic table under a tree. Harry nodded. “Sorry you had to hear that. I didn’t know you were there.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to coddle me, Shane. I’m a man. I can handle it,” Harry assured him with a smile that came out wry.

“All right. I’m going to gather all of our weapons. Wait here, I’ll be back soon.” Shane said as he jogged away.

Harry sighed as he sat on the bench. The shade under the trees was nice compared to the stinging heat of the sun.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“I hear you’re fast on your feet and know how to get in and out,” Maggie said as she stopped in front of Glenn.

He looked confused at suddenly being addressed while helping to build their camp.

“Got a pharmacy run. You in?” she asked.

“Uh…” he said intelligently to the pretty girl in front of him.

“Miss,” Dale came interrupting. “What’s the water situation in here?”

“Got five wells on our land. House draws directly from number one. Number two well is right over there,” she pointed a spot somewhere to her right. “We use it for the cattle, but it’s just as pure. Take what you need. There’s a cart and containers in the generator shed behind the house.”

Dale nodded. She turned to Glenn.

“I’ll go saddle your horse then,” she said before walking off.

“Horse?” Glenn looked at Dale, more confused than ever.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Hey, Harry. Maggie and me are going to town for supplies. You wanna make a list of things you want us to pick up?” Glenn said.

“Sure. Cheeseburger and apple pie, please,” Harry said seriously.

Glenn laughed. Then stopped when he saw Harry looking serious still. “You’re not…serious, are you?” Glenn asked tentatively.

Harry grinned and chuckled. “Nah, I’m just teasing you. I don’t think I have a list of stuff for you to pick up.”

The Asian boy grinned. “Well, if you change your mind, I’m still going to make a round with everyone.”

“Sure. Be careful when you’re in town,” Harry said.

The boy waved at him. Speaking of being careful, Harry was never good with protection trinkets. Mostly because he wasn’t good with handicrafts, but if he tried to make some, it would offer better protection for the group. He hummed softly. Maybe he had a list to make after all.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane was faced with Lori when he stepped out of the RV. The duffel bag filled with their weapons was on his shoulder. They looked awkwardly at each other before Shane looked away.

“I hear he woke up,” Shane said conversationally.

“Yeah. He’s in and out, but, yeah. He’ll be all right,” Lori looked really happy. She even offered him a sweet smile full of happiness and relief.

“That’s good,” he just nodded with a smile.

Then he walked past her while she walked into the van. But she stopped at the steps.

“Shane,” she called. He turned around. “I…I don’t know who else to ask…it’s about Harry. Rick won’t tell me because he promised him and his high morals stop him from breaking it, but…you would tell me, right? What Harry did to Carl?”

A flash of annoyance flared in Shane. What was Lori trying to imply? That he had fewer morals than Rick so he wouldn’t mind breaking his promise?

“Yeah. He saved his life,” Shane replied curtly.

“Yes, of course. But how did he do it? I want to know, I feel uneasy not knowing how he did it and…what if there’s a side-effect or something happens?”

Shane narrowed his eyes. “Are you asking this because you’re really concerned or because you’re still sour about what Harry said to you? Or for having Rick side with him?”

Lori looked offended. “That’s not what I mean…it’s just…you can’t think that it’s normal how fast he did it…There’s something wrong with him and I just want to know…You’re usually the first who’s onto this kind of thing…why are you suddenly so accepting?”

“There’s nothing wrong with Harry!” Shane snarled. “He saved Carl’s life! Without him, God knows what would’ve happened to your son and instead of being grateful, you suspect something bad from him? Good Lord, Lori! What happened to you?”

Lori looked flushed but he couldn’t tell whether she was embarrassed or angry. Shane scoffed and turned to leave.

“You know what I think?” Lori said suddenly. “I think you’re siding with him just to spite me. Because of what happened between us. You should let it go, Shane. If something happens to Carl because you’re too blind to see something is wrong with that man, I’ll never forgive you.”

“You know what?” Shane turned to face her again. “I think you’re the one who has to let go of what happened. It was a mistake, okay? I get it now. We thought Rick was dead. We were the only one each other knew and we took comfort where we could get it. It was just a bad time for all of us. And I’m letting it go. I’m letting you go…because you know what I realize? You’re right…I don’t really love you. I just loved the idea of having someone with me, of having a family, a home to come back to when everything else was gone. Just like how you wanted someone to be there for you, to protect you and your son after Rick died.”

“He’s not dead,” Lori argued weakly.

“That’s true. And it’s a miracle. He came back to you and Carl, to his family, and I’m not gonna stay in his way. Rick’s my brother. I’m not gonna do anything that can hurt him. So you can relax, Lori. I’m not going to destroy your family. We can forget everything ever happened.”

Lori nodded tensely. “You’re right. We pretend nothing happened.”

“Good. This is the last time we talk about this, okay?”

“Yeah, okay…”

“Great!” Shane nodded satisfied.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick sighed, thinking as he sat on a box in front of the house. He paused when he saw Daryl walk by with his favorite weapon in hand. It was clear the man was planning to continue their search for Sophia. He got up and approached him.

“Daryl,” he called out.

The man paused and turned.

“You okay on your own?”

“I’m better on my own,” Daryl said. “I’ll be back before dark.”

“Hey!” Rick called, stopping him again. “We got a base. We can get this search properly organized now.”

“You got a point or are we just chatting?” Daryl frowned.

“My point is it lets you off the hook. You don’t owe us anything.”

Daryl looked at him, turned around and walked away. “My other plans fell through.”

Rick sighed. Just then, Hershel came out of the house.

“We could give you more space. Set up over by the barn,” Rick told him.

“No, no need for that,” Hershel assured him. “Better you stay close to the house. I don’t say this easily, Rick. We don’t normally take in strangers. I can’t have your people thinking this is permanent. Once you find this girl and your boy’s fit for travel, I expect you’ll move on. We need to be clear on that.”

Rick was surprised and disappointed.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

When Harry came back from handing his list to Glenn, he found Shane was looking around frantically near the picnic table. He tilted his head to the side, wondering what the man was doing.

“Shane?” he called as he came up behind the man.

Shane jumped with a surprised yelp. Harry had to hold back his laughter at the look on the man’s face as he spun around to look at him with wide eyes.

“Where did you go? I told you to wait here! I thought you decided it was a good idea to go on another solo mission again.” Shane scowled at him.

Harry smiled sheepishly. “I went to hand my list to Glenn. He’s going to town with Maggie and asked if there’s something I’d like him to get.”

“Oh,” Shane slumped in relief, “What do you want to get?”

“Something that can help me to make protection charms. It would be a bracelet. That’s the only thing I know how to make for the charms.” Harry said.

Shane blinked. “You can do that?”

“Of course. I’m not good with handicrafts but I can try. It would help to protect the members of our group.” Harry replied.

“Oh. That’s good, I guess. You do that.” Shane nodded.

This time it was Harry’s turn to blink. “Aren’t you even curious? About what I am? What else I can do?”

Shane looked at him. “Of course, I am. I’m curious as hell, but…I won’t ask until you tell me on your own. I’m sure there’s a reason you keep it a secret for this long.”

Harry felt guilty for a second. “I’m thinking about telling everyone…but I don’t know how to do it.”

“Well, you have time to think about it. I’ll help to come up with ideas, too. In return, you take a lesson with me.” Shane practically ordered.

“On what?”

“Weapons,” the older man lifted up the bag in his hands.

Just when he was about to respond, Andrea strode towards them in agitation.

“Give up our guns?” she asked Shane incredulously.

Shane shrugged, “You heard Rick. We’re guests here.”

“And you’re okay with it?”

“I don’t recall being asked. Now lay down your weapon,” Shane sat on the bench, placing the bag on the table. He looked at Harry until the younger man got the message and sat with him.

“You may like rolling over, I don’t,” Andrea said curtly.

“Look, I have to strip and clean them anyway. You still want to learn?” Shane asked her.

She was silent but her expression looked happier if the way her face lightened up was anything to go by.

“Go on,” he motioned to her. She placed her gun on the table. “I see you got it back from Dale. All right. Sit down.”

And the lesson began. Shane taught them how to strip a handgun, how to clean them and how to put them back together. Andrea was more eager than Harry to learn.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Hello, farmer’s daughter,” Glenn sang to himself as he watched Maggie riding a horse with another horse in tow though Shane’s binoculars.

The girl was pretty and certainly his type. He wondered whether he had a chance with her or not… Suddenly, someone stepped in front of the binoculars…err…in front of him. Glenn jumped in surprise. Lori looked at him as he lowered the item.

“Hi. Here’s your list,” Lori said, handing over the supply list she had helped gather. Glenn accepted it nervously, embarrassed that he was caught watching their host’s daughter. “And…there’s one other item,” Lori added, holding another paper, “I wrote it down separately. It’s personal. If we could be real discreet about that, okay?”

“Sure.” Glenn nodded. Personal? As in…feminine needs? Please, tell him it wasn’t what he thought she meant.

“Thank you.” Lori nodded.

“Uh…what is it?” Glenn asked as he looked at the list.

“Kind of missing the point of the whole discreet thing, Glenn,” she said pointedly.

“Oh, right…uhmm…” he said awkwardly, “I just need to know where to find it.”

“Try the feminine hygiene section,” Lori said just as awkward.

“Oh…” he said weakly. “Enough said. Consider it done.”

Kill him now.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Halfway through the lesson, Dale and T-Dog came running saying there was something everyone needed to see. Harry, Shane, Andrea, Glenn, Lori and Maggie happened to be the only ones at the camp at the time. They followed the two to one of the wells on the land.

Leaning over the well, they saw one of the most hideous looking walkers Harry had ever seen in the water. Not that walkers were generally nice looking but this once certainly topped many of them. Everyone pulled a face at the sight. The thing was snarling and growling at them.

“How long do you think it’s been down there?” Glenn asked.

“Long enough to grow gills.”

“We can’t leave it in there. God knows what it’s doing to the water.”

“We got to get it out.” Shane said.

“Easy. Put a bullet in its head. I’ll get a rope,” T-Dog suggested.

“Whoa, whoa, guys,” Maggie protested. “No!”

“Why not? It’s a good plan,” Glenn looked confused.

“It’s a stupid plan,” Andrea said, “If that thing hasn’t contaminated the water yet, blowing its brains out will finish the job.”

“She’s right. Can’t risk it.” Shane sighed.

“So it has to come out alive?” T-Dog looked repulsed at the idea.

“So to speak.”

“How do we do that?”

They all looked at each other, each one of them trying to come up with a plan. They decided to pull it out with a canned ham but the walker wasn’t interested. It ignored the bait. Then they came up with a more daring – in Harry’s opinion, a stupid – plan. One of them was going to go down the well with a safety rope and another rope to tie around the walker. Glenn was going to be bait. T-Dog even already got the ropes ready.

“This is stupid. Too dangerous,” Harry rebuked.

“This is the only choice,” Shane shrugged.

“Unless you have another plan,” Glenn said hopefully.

Harry opened his mouth, about to volunteer himself as bait, only to catch Shane giving him a warning look so, instead, he stared down at the walker with a thoughtful look and then he looked like he was going to throw up. “Merlin, that thing looks hideous.” he gagged.

The men chuckled at him. Then Shane leant over to his ear.

“You can protect him secretly,” he whispered.

Harry sighed. “That’s my plan,” he whispered back.

Someone cleared their throat to get their attention. Shane and Harry looked up to see the others had strange expression on their faces. T-Dog was smirking at them.

“If there’s no more protest. Let’s get working,” Shane said as he straightened himself.

They started to work. Shane helped tie the rope around Glenn. The boy was sitting on the edge of the well a little nervously.

“Have I mentioned that I really like your new haircut? You have a nice shaped head,” Glenn said to Shane.

Harry snorted.

“Don’t worry about it, bud. We’re gonna get you out of here in one piece.” Shane clapped his shoulder.

“Living piece. That living part is important,” Glenn reminded cautiously.

“Ready?”

“Nice and slow, please.” Glenn told them as he got ready on the edge of the well.

“We got you.” Andrea said.

“Oh, you people are crazy,” Maggie moaned nervously.

“You want to get it out of your well or not?” Shane asked.

“Give us an eye there, Maggie, Harry,” Dale asked them.

Harry who was sitting on the edge of the well with Glenn nodded. Andrea didn’t look pleased at the arrangement.

“Why doesn’t Harry help us here?” she asked.

“Because he’s going to provide back up for Glenn, just in case,” Shane replied. “Now, let’s start.”

They lowered Glenn into the well carefully. Maggie provided instruction while Harry was watching. Suddenly, Harry heard groaning and his eyes snapped to the water pump they used as a pole. Just when it broke, Harry swiped his hand in the air and the pump snapped back to its place. Shane and the other stumbled back a little. Their grip loosened and Glenn shouted in fright as he descended faster than before. Shane got his wits back in time and tightened his grip soon enough. The others followed a second later. Glenn stopped just enough out of reach from the walker. He was still shouting. Fortunately, Maggie was too busy checking on Glenn to notice him doing magic.

“What the hell was that?” Andrea cried out in surprise.

“Doesn’t matter. Let’s get Glenn out of there!” Shane ordered.

This time, Maggie joined the others pulling the rope. Harry, though, was keeping an eye on the water pump in case it broke again. A few minutes later, a scared Glenn climbed out of the well. He fell on his hands and knees, trying to regain his breath with his eyes wide in shock.

“Are you okay?” Lori asked as she checked on Glenn.

“Back to the drawing board,” Dale commented after he was sure Glenn was all right.

“Says you,” Glenn grinned, still panting. He handed the rope in his hand to the old man.

Dale looked at the rope he was holding and tugged. It felt heavy. His eyes widened when he realized why it was heavy. He pulled until he reached the well and saw that in the middle of panic, Glenn managed to drape the rope around the walker. Next, they started to pull the walker up with the added help of Maggie’s horse. T-Dog was keeping an eye on everything.

“Pull! Pull! Just a little more,” T-Dog jumped back when the walker was out. The smell was horrible. “Almost there!”

“It stuck!” Dale said.

Harry let go of the rope and went to the well.

“What are you doing, Harry?” Shane barked.

“Just keep pulling,” Harry told him while he started lifting the walker’s legs with a grimace on his face.

“Are you crazy?” T-Dog watched him with wide eyes.

“Walkers’ bodies made of dead tissues. They tear apart easily. If I don’t do something, its body would split and you don’t want that to happen while it’s still halfway in the well,” Harry grunted as he kept lifting.

Then the walker was out. It tried to stand up but before it could, T-Dog was already on it. He bashed the walker’s head with a crowbar. Everybody grimaced and gagged at the horrifying sight. He looked at Harry when it was done.

“You’re really crazy, doc.” he panted.

Harry chuckled.

“Don’t ever do that again!” Shane pulled him into a headlock.

“Ouch! It worked, right?” Harry grumbled.

“Yeah? You’re lucky we were pulling on its head and its hands were too short to reach you,” Andrea shot at him. “What if it bit you?”

“Awww,” Harry batted his eyelashes at her. “I don’t know you cared, Andrea. You’re so sweet~”

She glared. Dale chuckled. Harry could see, though, that she was holding back the small half-smile half-smirk that was her trademark.

“Okay, everyone. Let’s take care of this,” Shane grimaced, looking at the walker’s body.

“At least we can use the water now, right?” Glenn shrugged.

“I don’t think so,” Harry shook his head.

“What? Why? We got the walker out,” Lori asked.

“Because, like I said, walkers are made of dead tissues. They are decayed corpse and keep decaying the more time has passed. They are risk of exposure. Decayed tissues are full of germs and bacterias and... whatever it is that spread around turning dead people into walkers. We don’t know how long that thing was down there, but even five seconds time is long enough to contaminated the water down there,” Harry explained.

“So we still can’t use the water? That’s great,” Andrea scoffed in disbelief.

“I didn’t say that. We can still clean this well out of those things,” Harry said.

“How?” Dale asked.

“We could bleach it,” Shane suggested. “Well is like an underground river, right? We bleach this one out, let the water run for a few days, rinse off anything left then all would be good, right?”

“What do you think, Harry?” Dale asked him.

“That could work,” Harry nodded thoughtfully. But, honestly, he was planning to purify the well himself so it didn’t matter to him if it didn’t work.

“We have some bleach in the house,” Maggie said.

“Great! But, uh…guys, Maggie and I are going to town, and I don’t want us to be out there until late so…if you’re okay with it, can Maggie and I skip this part? I still need to change…” Glenn trailed off, gesturing to his dirty clothes.

“Go on. We can take care of this.” Dale assured them.

“Right. You can ask Patricia where the bleach is. See you later,” Maggie told them.

“Be careful!”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry sat on the edge of the well. He had his wand out and was about to purify the water in the well. No one was watching, except for Shane was on the lookout. Shane had convinced the others that they would take care of bleaching the well. They took the bleach bottles Patricia gave them as an alibi, but Harry told Shane his plan to purify the well with magic.

“You sure this gonna work? The water will be safe for us to use?” Shane asked.

“Yes,” Harry assured him.

“So when you said the bleach could work...” Shane trailed off.

“I meant that it could work but I also didn’t know for sure so...”

“Better safe than sorry,” Shane nodded. “What do we do with the bleach, then? They would ask question if we don’t use any of it.”

Harry consider that and then shrugged. “Dump it into the well then. I’ll get rid of it with the rest.”

“Seem such a waste,” Shane mused but then also shrugged and emptied all the bottles into the well, splashing the wall for good measure. “All right, do your best, then. I’ll keep a lookout.”

“Thanks,” Harry smiled.

Shane watched him from his place on the fence. He didn’t know what the younger man was planning to do so he was really curious. Harry looked down into the well with the stick – the Elder Wand, he said – over the well and then he started chanting. It a short chant of...spell, charm maybe, Shane wasn’t sure what it was, but it was short and in foreign language, Latin or something. Harry chanted it repeatedly and the end of the wand shone with light that then reached down into the well. Shane stepped closer to get a peek and saw the light entered the well in spiral trail along the wall. He stepped slightly closer again until he was right behind Harry and saw the light prodded the water and gathered at the base, making the water shimmering with light. It was pretty amazing sight, like a small miracle and kind of spiritual, not that Shane was the religious type but even he had to admit it was cool. Then the light went out and Shane could see the water actually looked clearer and cleaner this time instead of cloudy or even a little muddy. Harry turned around to look at him in amusement.

“You said you’re gonna be on the lookout,” he accused playfully.

“I was,” Shane stepped back, “But I was curious too. Besides, no one came.”

“Yeah. I feel very safe that you’re one of our security details,” Harry drawled.

“Oh, shut up,” Shane backhanded him on the shoulder lightly, but even careful Shane was still a strong Shane and Harry was really close to the edge of the well he almost lose his balance and tumble into it. Luckily, Shane was quick to catch his arm.

“Hey!” Harry protested in annoyance.

“Sorry,” Shane grinned sheepishly. “So it’s done, then?”

“Yes, it’s done,” Harry huffed at him, “But let’s leave it be for a while so others won’t ask questions.”

Later, Shane dragged Harry with him, Andrea and Carol. They were going to check on the highway just in case Sophia went back there. They had left some supplies of water and food for her and a message to wait there for them. Harry looked at Shane with wide eyes. The older man shrugged and nodded at a worried looking Carol. He sighed.

“Why can’t I stay here?” he asked Shane.

“You’re crazy if you think I’m going to let you out of my sight for even a minute. I did hours ago and you disappeared. Good thing it was only to hand Glenn some list. You almost gave me a heart attack. And what you did with the walker in the well? Dream on. You won’t be leaving my sight,” Shane snorted.

Harry smiled shyly. He was flattered with all the attention Shane gave him. It seemed after his disappearance act, the man had been very protective of him, more so than when they were at CDC back then. Harry only hoped that he was not a rebound from Lori to the other man.

“Fine, let’s go then.”

They walked through the woods in silence. Harry noticed a familiar stone with a rune carved on it and smiled. He had set another ward for the group when he left. It was the same as the first one he made on their first camp. Only, he was gone longer than he expected. He was grateful nothing happened the second night he wasn’t there when the ward dropped. Now that he thought about it, maybe he should create another ward on the Greene’s farm. They arrived at the highway a minute later. It was still as deserted as the day before. Carol’s face fell in disappointment when there was no sign of Sophia. Of course there was no sign. The poor woman didn’t know that her daughter was not among the living anymore. Harry looked away from her slumped form. Shane placed a hand on his shoulder in silent support.

“We’ll come again tomorrow,” Andrea said softly. “You know there’s always the chance…”

“Don’t,” Carol stopped her. “I really don’t need to hear it any more, Andrea. Save the thoughts and prayers.”

The blonde woman sighed and turned away.

“You never know, Carol,” Shane began but she held up her hand, stopping him.

The man sighed and motioned Harry to move. They joined Andrea to sweep the area a little before they all walked back to Hershel’s farm. This time, the silence was more depressing than before because of Carol and Harry’s mood. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the farm. Andrea and Shane were talking about the shooting lesson plan.

“We can hang your targets along the fence line there. That rise, it gives a natural backstop. It’s a good idea.”

“Thanks. So how long before I can carry?”

Shane chuckled. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“I’m not in a very patient frame of mind these days, Shane. You might have noticed that,” she reminded him.

“No shit. Look, I ain’t worried about you offing yourself, even though you got old Dale pissing his pants lately.” Andrea looked at him and he chuckled. “Yeah I noticed that, too.”

“He did come within a minute or so of being blown to hell because of me, to be fair,” Andrea admitted.

“Look, I see you have the desire for gun work and desire will take you a long way. But there’s something you need to know, so file this carefully.”

“I’m listening.”

“Paper targets are one thing. Easy to hit what ain’t moving. But taking down an assailant, one that’s trying to kill you…”

“It’s different,” Harry said softly.

Shane and Andrea looked at him.

“Yeah, it is,” Shane nodded. “’Cause they say in that kind of situation, things slow down. That’s crap. They speed up. Adrenalin, it’ll cripple you if you let it. You need to use your instinct. You got to rule it out. Because somebody is going to die and you’d better hope that you’re the one who’s making that decision.”

“How? I mean, how do you do that?” she asked.

“Turn off a switch. The switch. The one that makes you scared or angry, sympathetic, whatever. You don’t think. You just…you act. ‘Cause odds are somebody else is counting on you. That’s your partner. That’s your friend. There ain’t nothing easy about taking a man’s life, no matter how little value it may have. But when you get it done, you have to forget it. I guess I haven’t quite got that last part down yet.”

“But you’re getting there,” she said. There was admiration in her eyes for him.

Harry could feel something flared in his chest. Something ugly that had made him say the cruel things to Lori on the highway. He reined it in.

“I hope so,” Shane sighed.

“I guess you have to be grateful,” Harry said, “That our targets nowadays are mostly dead people. There’s no life loss there that would make you responsible.”

“True,” Shane grinned. “That does help a little.”

“What about you? You ever shoot someone, Harry?” Andrea asked.

“Someone alive? Sure…I fought against terrorists, remember? At first, I was stubborn. I chose to disarm them or just knock them unconscious but they always came back with a vengeance and my people were the ones who paid for it. In the end, I was forced to throw away that noble morality and killed any enemies in front of me because if I didn’t…my friends would’ve been next, my family…myself…

My first kill was when I was eleven. The second assassination attempt was made on me. The first one was when I was a baby and I didn’t remember much from that one, just my mom’s scream. Professor Quirrell was one of the teachers in my school and I was cornered, alone and forced to defend myself. By the time it was over, he was dead. By my hand. I didn’t even know what I was doing…but he was dead. And I lived.”

The smile on Andrea’s face dropped when she heard that. An eleven-year old boy was forced to kill so he could survive. Shane pulled him into a comforting hug.

“Okay. That’s enough of depressing talk. Let’s go back to the camp.” Shane decided.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Glenn and Maggie rode in silence. He could see that she was still disturbed from the well incident earlier. He tried to make conversation to ease her nerves a little or just impress her, but nothing worked. He sighed.

They stopped in front of the pharmacy and tied the horse to a wooden pillar. There was a sign on the window that read, “Take what you need and God bless.” They stepped inside. The doorbell rang as the door was opened. Inside, it was almost empty with only a few items left on each rack.

“I’ll go see what antibiotics are left. What else is on the list?” Maggie asked.

“Uh…” Glenn took out the list and handed it to her; he hid the personal one from Lori. “Why don’t you get started?”

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’m gonna look around, see what’s worth grabbing. Just some general stuff.” Glenn told her.

She nodded and went behind the counter. Glenn watched her leave. He picked up a basket and looked at the list. Fortunately, the feminine hygiene section was near the door. He checked on Maggie to make she was still away and began his search. He paused when he found the item, though. In his surprise seeing what the item was, he didn’t notice Maggie coming up behind him.

“What do you got?” Maggie asked.

He jumped in surprise and quickly shoved the item in his backpack. He grabbed some random box as a show.

“Nothing. Just, like I said, general stuff,” he stuttered, showing the random box he picked up.

“Condoms?” Maggie eyed the box. Glenn almost had a heart attack. Of all the things he could’ve grabbed. “You got a girlfriend I don’t know about?”

“Me? No. No,” he quickly said.

“Then you’re a pretty confident guy,” she raised an eyebrow at him.

“No. No, no, no. I wasn’t…I would never…”

“Something wrong with me?”

“No. No, I…” he stammered, trying to come up with a reply. “I would never have sex…I’m…I’m lost…”

“I’ll have sex with you,” Maggie finally said to his shock.

“Really? Why?”

“You’re asking questions?”

“Okay, I can’t help wondering.”

“It’s not like our options are vast these days,” she shrugged off her backpack and hat.

Glenn watched with hammering heart as she stepped closer, reached out and took off his cap. Then she leant in and they kissed.

“You’re not the only who’s lonely,” she said softly.

She pulled off her shirt, showing the slim waist and flat stomach, and then she pulled off her bra. Glenn was speechless. He quickly pulled his own shirt in response. So he appeared to be a little eager but when else would he get another chance? They looked at each other and leaned in for another kiss.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

When Glenn and Maggie came back from their supply run, Harry watched their interaction. Something happened between them and if the silly grin Glenn kept shooting the girl was anything to go by… Harry stifled a smile. Then Maggie must’ve said something because Glenn’s smile dropped and he looked disappointed and confused. Harry snorted into his hands.

He saw Lori stalk out of the house the same time Maggie walked inside. She strode straight over to Glenn and said something. Glenn handed her something but he couldn’t see what. Harry shrugged. It was none of his business but Lori looked nervous. Well, it seemed discreet and since Lori chose the most pathetic liar in the universe to help her, it would be revealed soon. Harry walked towards Glenn, glancing at an anxious Lori as he passed her.

“Glenn!” he called. “You got what I asked?”

“Oh, yeah. I couldn’t find all of it, though,” Glenn said as he handed him a small plastic bag. “What do you need this for?”

“I want to make something. It’s okay, I’ll ask around if others have the rest of the things or Hershel and his family…”

“Oh, I can ask Maggie for you,” Glenn quickly offered.

Harry looked at him funny and the younger boy blushed.

“Well, if it’s not an inconvenience…”

“Of course not. I still have the list and I’ll get back to you after I ask her,” he said.

“Thank you,” Harry smiled sweetly. He walked back to the camp where Shane was attempting to boil water in a kettle. He looked at the man with a raised eyebrow, “What are you doing?”

“Uh…boiling water? I’m gonna make some coffee…” Shane shrugged.

“Let me. You hold this,” Harry shoved his plastic bag to Shane and took over his place at the campfire. “I’m going to make dinner soon anyway.”

“This is what you asked Glenn to get?” Shane peeked inside the plastic bag. There were ribbons in various colors, some tree roots or something, and other things he didn’t recognize. Harry hummed in reply. Suddenly, Harry’s head snapped up and he whirled around to look at Shane.

“What?”

“I need a strand of hair for each of your protection bracelets and you’re bald!” Harry whined.

Shane looked offended for a second. “Is that the only way to make these things?”

“No…but then I have to do some research first and probably got different materials for it,” he sighed. “Well, I guess I have some reading to do.”

“You got books on this?”

“Yeah. Inside here,” Harry pointed at his pendant. Shane looked at him like he didn’t know whether to believe him or not. He eyed the pendant with a weird look. Harry chortled at his look.

“Speaking of which, where do you sleep tonight?”

Harry hummed. “I doubt I can crash on Hershel’s couch again now that we have a camp here. The man looks like the type that doesn’t accept strangers easily. So I guess I’ll go back to my sleeping bag on Dale’s RV floor.”

Shane looked thoughtful, like he was considering something.

“How about you join me in my tent? It was pretty big inside and can fit the both of us,” Shane offered.

Harry blushed, “I…”

“I won’t try anything you don’t want, all right? I just want to make sure you won’t go off on your own again without me noticing,” Shane said and before Harry could glare at him, he added, “I also would like to…be near you more often…”

Harry could feel his face was burning by now. He licked his lips. “If…it’s not an inconvenience…”

“Hey, I’m offering, right?” Shane looked at him hopefully, “So what do you say?”

“Okay,” he mumbled shyly.

“Great!” the man grinned.

Harry turned back to the fire and he caught T-Dog’s look from across the camp. The man was smirking at him in amusement. Harry glared. He grabbed a small stone and threw it at the dark skinned man. T-Dog burst into laughter as he ducked to the side. Shane chuckled. And the others just looked at them in confusion.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

That night, after dinner, Harry was nervous. Shane looked calm talking with Rick. T-Dog kept sending him a teasing look, complete with eyebrows waggling. Glenn was throwing longing looks towards the house every now and then. Lori looked nervous about something. Andrea didn’t care about anything. Carol looked as depressed as she always did these last few days. Daryl scowled at his dinner as if it offended him, but he mostly scowled at his failure in finding Sophia after a day long search. Dale just watched everyone with various expressions, depending on whom he was watching.

After everyone retreated to their own tents or the RV, some went to their lookout posts, Harry found himself shuffling into Shane’s tent after a receiving nudging look from the other man. He changed into a worn shirt and sweatpants then looked around the tent. There was space to sleep for two people, the foldable mattress, pillows and blanket. Shane arranged it after Harry agreed to share his tent.

Harry jumped in surprise when Shane entered the tent. The man stopped.

“Something wrong?” Shane asked.

Harry shook his head. His face was a nice shade of pink. Not that the man could see as it was quite dark. Harry quickly shuffled under the blanket, letting the older man take the spot near the entrance as he suspected the man intended to do.

He turned his back on Shane when he saw the man was going to change his clothes. Merlin, his face was positively burning now. He heard rustling and shuffling. Then he squeaked softly when he felt a pair of arms pull him against a strong chest under the blanket. The man chuckled at his reaction.

“I thought you said you wouldn’t try anything.” Harry said softly.

“I won’t. This is just…I’m just keeping you warm,” Shane breathed to his ear.

“This is cuddling,” Harry countered.

“Fine. It’s cuddling,” Shane sighed as he buried his face into Harry’s hair, taking in his natural smell.

“Something wrong? You’re not the cuddling type or the type to admit a cuddling even when you’re doing it…” Harry said.

“I talked with Lori earlier today. I said…I’m letting her go. Because I realized that you’re right…I’m not really in love with her…I just wanted someone to hold on to before…”

“You told her?”

“Yes.”

“How did she react?”

“Surprised, I think. But otherwise, she agreed to forget everything.”

Harry hummed. “How are you feeling?”

“Surprisingly good. I feel…relieved.” And Harry could hear the relief in his voice. He smiled.

“Is that why you shaved your head?”

Shane chuckled. “You don’t buy my reason? Well, you’re right…when I thought about it and came to the conclusion…it was like…an epiphany. I felt lighter…like I could leave it all behind and start anew. So…”

“New start, new look. That’s good, but…that’s not the reason you’re sharing your tent with me, right?”

“You’re not a rebound, Harry. If that’s what you’re thinking about.” Shane assured him.

Harry wiggled a bit until he faced the man. He smiled at him. “That’s good,” he murmured before pulling him into a kiss.

The kiss was surprisingly slow and romantic. Shane adjusted their positions until he was on top of Harry. Their tongues and hands were busy exploring each other. Harry moaned when Shane rocked his hips downward.

“You have to keep quiet. Or everyone would hear you. I think T-Dog’s looking forward to tease you tomorrow morning,” Shane smirked.

“He won’t if he knows what’s good for him. I’m his doctor after all,” Harry sighed at the pleasure that ran up his spine. Shane chuckled as they continued rocking against each other. Shane lowered his hand until it slipped into Harry’s sweatpants.

“Going commando these days, huh? Or were you hoping for something tonight?” Shane teased.

“Shut up. Do you know how hard it is to find a new or clean underwear? There’s no way I’m wearing second hand ones from our scavengers. That’s so unhygienic.”

Shane laughed at that. “I guess you’re right.”

“And I thought you weren’t going to do anything,” Harry shot back.

“Hey, you’re the one who started it,” Shane countered.

Harry blushed. “Shut up…Oh!”

The wizard bit his lip as Shane twisted his hold a little while continuously stroking him. He lifted his hips into the firm grip in reaction. The older man took that chance to pull his sweatpants down to his thighs, releasing him from confinement and into the cold air. Harry gasped loudly.

“Quiet…” Shane murmured into his neck as he left red mark after red mark onto his skin.

Harry looked down between them. His eyes glowed and he moaned at the sight. His hands reached towards his partner’s own sweatpants. Soon they were both exposed under the blanket.

“Your eyes are glowing,” Shane whispered in amazement.

“Sorry. I know it’s creepy,” Harry panted.

“No no no…it’s…they’re beautiful…can you see with that? I mean, in the dark?” Shane asked.

Harry grunted in affirmation. The man smirked but before he could tease Harry about having cat’s eyes or nickname him kitten or something, Harry took a grip of his quite impressive manhood. Shane grunted in satisfaction. They stroked each other, trying hard to hold in their moans and groans of pleasure, until finally Harry couldn’t hold it anymore as he reached his peak. His sight exploded in bright light behind his eyelids as he let himself go. A loud moan released from him before he could stop it.

Seeing his partner reach his climax had sent Shane over the edge too. He leant his forehead on the smaller man’s shoulder, trying to regain his breath. Harry panted heavily basking in the waves of pleasure that still ran through his body.

Soon, though, he was squirming in discomfort at how sticky they were now. Shane was about to reach for something to clean them off when Harry took care of the mess with a wave of his hand. Shane shuddered as he felt the coolness of the spell touch his skin.

“Well, that’s quite…handy.” Shane commented.

“Mm-hmm,” Harry hummed sleepily.

Shane chuckled. He really was a virgin. He had the stamina of one. He slid back to his spot beside Harry and pulled in him into his arms. “Sleep, Harry,” he told him softly.

Harry hummed. Minutes later, his breath evened out and he was thrown into dreamland where he spent all day running hand in hand with Shane through a flower field and laughing happily. He was going to be so embarrassed with his dream tomorrow.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Lori watched her surroundings carefully before leaving the campsite with her pregnancy test. She went behind a well, a little far away from the one with the walker incident earlier. She looked around. After making sure it was safe, she pulled out the pregnancy test and undid her jeans.

Five minutes later, she was crying in the dark.

**~ To be continued ~**


	12. Chapter 11

Harry stirred in his sleep from the sound of activities outside the tent. He groaned and turned around under the blanket, trying to block out the sound. Then he paused. Memories of last night’s activity hit him. He whirled around to find the spot beside him cold and empty. He frowned in disappointment but then he blushed when he remembered what they did last night.

His blush burned hotter when he remembered another thing. His embarrassing dream. Seriously? What kind of dream was that? He was a man. An adult. Thirty years old! And he was dreaming about running hand in hand with Shane in the middle of a freaking flower field laughing like two mad hyenas?!

He groaned loudly into his pillow. He stayed in that position for a little longer then pulled away before he could lose his breath. He wandlessly cast the tempus spell and found out that it was almost nine in the morning. He quickly changed into more appropriate clothes, making sure the hickeys Shane left him with were all covered up, and made his way out of the tent. As he tied his shoes on, he saw that he wasn’t the only one that had slept in. Lori got out of the tent with a sleepy look about the same time as him.

“I can’t believe I slept in.”

Harry heard Lori say as she helped Carol hang the laundry to dry.

“You must have needed it. Feeling alright?” Carol asked.

“Next time, wake me up, alright? Especially on laundry day.”

That was surprising, Harry thought. Maybe what he said at the highway had gotten to her.

“I can manage,” Carol smiled then looked at him. “And…you’re not the only one that slept in. Do you sleep well, Harry?”

“It was fine. Thanks for asking,” Harry smiled at her.

“I see you sharing a tent with Shane,” Carol commented lightly. Lori shot him a surprised look from the corner of her eyes.

“Yeah…he offered…and it’s more comfortable than the RV floor,” Harry rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. He hoped he wasn’t blushing.

“I guess it is,” Carol said. “I had an idea I wanted to run by you…by both of you.”

“What’s that?” Harry and Lori asked at the same time. They looked at each other in surprise before Lori went back to her laundry.

“Well, that big kitchen of theirs got me thinking. I wouldn’t mind cooking in a real kitchen again. Maybe we can all pitch in and cook dinner for Hershel and his family tonight,” Carol suggested. “And you’re our best cook, Harry.”

Lori gave Carol an inquiring look.

“Kind of…looking for things o keep my mind occupied,” Carol shrugged weakly.

“Sure, it’d be nice,” Harry said immediately.

“After everything they’ve done for us, seems like the least we could do,” Lori agreed.

“You mind extending the invitation?” Carol asked her, “It would just feel more right coming from you…”

Harry already wandered off as he saw T-Dog. “Morning, T,” he greeted.

“A very good morning,” T-Dog grinned at him. “I see you slept in today. Must be a very nice dream and a very comfortable sleeping place. Maybe even something to cuddle with? Or is it someone?”

Harry blushed then glared at T-Dog. “Watch it. I’m your doctor. You don’t want me to give you nasty medicine, do you?”

T-Dog just chortled unafraid.

“Are you sharing a tent with Shane?” Andrea asked curiously.

“He offered. Now, give me your arm. I want to check on it,” Harry demanded to T-Dog.

Everything was fine with the wound. It was healing nicely and Harry was satisfied with the progress. He just finished changing the bandages when Rick and Shane walked past them.

“Morning guys. Let’s get going,” Rick called to them, “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”

They spread the map on the hood of Rick’s car. It looked like it was officially their meeting spot now. Harry, T-Dog and Andrea followed them. Daryl joined them from his place by the RV with his ever-present crossbow in hand. Shane smirked at him when he got closer. Harry smiled shyly.

“How’s your sleep, Kitten?” Shane asked.

Harry’s smile turned into scowl in a nanosecond. The older man chuckled at his expression. He pulled the collar of Harry’s shirt a little to peek at the red marks it had covered. He smirked when the smaller man slapped his hand away with the scowl still on place but now a cute shade of pink had appeared on his face.

“All right, everyone’s getting new search grids today,” Rick’s voice catching their attention. “If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl found, she might have gone further east than we’ve been so far.”

“I’d like to help.” They turned around to find Jimmy, Beth’s boyfriend. “I know the area pretty well and stuff.”

“Hershel’s okay with this?” Rick asked.

“Yeah, yeah. He said I should ask you,” he nodded.

“All right then. Thanks,” Rick’s attention went back to the map.

“Nothing about what Daryl found screams Sophia to me. Anyone could have been holed up in that farmhouse,” Shane said.

“Anybody includes her, right?”

“Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay high.”

“Good lead.”

Harry tilted his head so Shane explained. “Daryl found an abandoned house last night with some supplies. There were half-eaten cans of food and it looked like someone slept in a cupboard in the kitchen.”

The wizard nodded.

“Maybe we’ll pick up her trail again.”

“No maybe about it. I’m gonna borrow a horse, head up to this ridge right here,” Daryl said pointed to a spot on the map, “…take a bird’s eye view of the whole grid. If she’s up there, I’ll spot her.”

Dave came up to them with their bag of weapons and placed it on the hood. Shane grabbed Harry’s hand discreetly, offering support when he saw the way the light in his eyes dimmed.

“Good idea. Maybe you’ll see your Chupacabra up there, too,” T-Dog nodded.

“Chupacabra?” Rick asked.

“What, you never heard this?” Dale asked back. “Our first night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a Chupacabra.”

Jimmy scoffed out a laugh.

“What are you braying at, jackass?” Daryl snapped.

“So you believe in a blood-sucking dog?” Jimmy asked mockingly.

“Do you believe dead people walking around?” the redneck mocked back.

That shut up the teenager. Harry smirked at Daryl who returned the favor. After all, they knew what was out there even though Daryl never saw most of it. Suddenly, Jimmy reached out for the rifle Dale had placed on the hood for them.

“Hey, hey,” Rick stopped him. “Ever fire one before?”

“Well, if I’m going out, I want one,” Jimmy said.

“Yeah, and people in hell want Slurpee’s,” Daryl sneered.

“You’re the typical smartass but ignorant teenager trying to look cool, aren’t you?” Harry tilted his head to the side. Jimmy scowled at him and turned to leave.

“Why don’t you come train tomorrow? If you’re serious, I’m a certified instructor,” Shane offered the boy. The scowl turned into smirk in Harry’s direction. Harry raised an eyebrow with indifferent expression.

“For now he can come with us.” Andrea shrugged.

“He’s yours to babysit then,” Shane immediately said. Harry snorted softly.

“All right, Andrea, T-Dog, I want you guys…”

While Rick was carrying out the instructions, Harry turned to Shane. “I will stay here for the day,” he said.

Shane frowned.

“I have charms to make and Carol said something about cooking dinner for the Greene’s as thank you for helping out and letting us stay here,” Harry explained before the man could object.

“All right then,” Shane sighed. “I better find you here when I get back.”

“Promise.”

“And I won’t like it if I hear you disappeared somewhere before coming back in time,” he added.

Harry frowned.

“Hey, I was one of the troublemakers when in school. I know all the tricks,” Shane warned.

“It’s not that…I just…I won’t leave, Shane. You have to trust me on that. I have reasons to stay now,” he said softly.

Shane’s eyes softened at the admission. “All right. Have a nice day with the wives,” he teased smirking.

Harry glared at him before stomping away in a huff much to the man’s amusement.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick looked around the woods while Shane nailed red clothes to the trees. They decided to leave signs on the places they’d already searched. That way, they wouldn’t waste any time searching the same place over and over again.

Shane’s mind went to last night. What happened with Harry was unexpected, but he didn’t regret it. He was telling the truth about what he felt for Lori. He did some deep thinking the first night here and he realized the younger man was right. Now, all he had left to wonder about was what he felt for the younger man. He was also telling the truth when he told Harry he wasn’t a rebound, but whatever he was feeling for him, it was sudden and just as unexpected as last night was. He didn’t know whether that was good or bad.

He and Rick continued their search while talking and joking about their high school experience. All of the girls they scored, mostly the girls Shane scored. He suddenly felt dirty and guilty thinking about the one woman he really shouldn’t have slept with, but he didn’t know at the time. And he would carry this secret to his grave.

Speaking of secrets, Shane thought about what Harry told him about Sophia. He knew it was dangerous to let their people to keep searching for a dead girl. He had to make Rick change his mind about this…make him realize how slim the chance was, but how?

“Shouldn’t be talking about this stuff,” Shane said. “That life, it’s gone and everyone in it. Sheila. Maryanne. Mrs. Kelly. It’s like we’re old folk. All the people in our stories are all dead.”

“We can’t just forget them.”

“The hell we can’t. It’s hard enough accepting what’s happened without digging up the past. I’ll tell you what it is. It’s nostalgia. It’s like a drug. Keeps you from seeing things the way they are and that’s dangerous. You got people depending on you.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Rick said annoyed.

“I don’t know,” Shane shrugged. “What are we doing? You got every able body at your disposal out scouring these woods for a little girl we both know is likely dead.”

“You think we should abandon the search?”

“It’s not my call, is it?”

“I’m asking.”

“Survival, Rick. It means making hard decisions. But you’ve got this knack, man. You spread us thinner and thinner. I’m trying to save lives here and you’re out saving cats from trees.”

“Is that what you think Sophia is, a cat in a tree?” Rick glared.

“Don’t do that, man. Don’t twist my words,” Shane sighed. “How many times have we gotten caught up looking for a missing child, man? You got seventy-two hours. Seventy-two hours, and after that you’re looking for a body. And that was before. I mean, you honestly think we’re just gonna find Sophia alive?”

“Are you that sure we won’t?” Rick challenged.

Yes. He was sure, but he didn’t say that. “We’re being completely honest?”

“Well, I’m counting on you to be.”

“It’s math, man. Love or not, Sophia, she only matters to the degree in which she doesn’t drag the rest of us down,” Shane caught the look Rick gave him. “I thought you wanted honest. If we’d just moved on, man, we’d be halfway to Fort Benning right now, and Carl wouldn’t have gotten shot.”

“Oh don’t turn that on me. Don’t you dare say you wouldn’t go out looking anyway the moment you found out Harry was missing, too. I saw the look in your face,” Rick hissed. “And I don’t know what’s going on between you two and I don’t care. You’re my best friend, no matter what. But it isn’t fair that you’re willing to risk us looking for Harry but not Sophia.”

That shut him up.

“I had her in my hand, Shane. She looked in my eyes and trusted me. I failed her. If I hadn’t, she wouldn’t be out here. I think she’s still alive and I’m not gonna write her off!” Rick said determinedly.

Shane looked him in the eyes. He saw the guilt in them; the desperate hope that she would still be alive and he didn’t fail her. And Shane found the words caught in his throat, refusing to come out. Adding to the guilt he already had from his affair with Lori, he couldn’t find it in himself to kill that hope by telling his best friend that the girl was already dead.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Meanwhile, Daryl’s search didn’t go well. He borrowed a horse from Hershel, well…not that he asked first but Rick already knew his plan, so he left it to the officer to tell the old man. He just didn’t want to ask permission first when it looked like the old man wasn’t the type to share.

Anyway, at first, the search went pretty well. He shot some squirrels for food later. And then found Sophia’s doll on a tree trunk in the river. He felt hope rise in him. He tried to call out for her and look around for a bit, but it seemed she wasn’t in the area anymore. He took the doll with him.

And then, Karma bit him in the ass. The horse he got was jumpy and so easily scared. It ran off after a snake scared it and Daryl found himself falling down from the horse and tumbling down into the river. To make matters worse, he was stabbed by his own arrow and lost his crossbow gun in the water. He cursed his bad luck.

After he found his weapon, he tried to climb his way up to higher ground, painfully. But then he slipped and fell back to the river shore. He cursed his luck again as he felt himself slip into unconsciousness.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Glenn looked up as he saw Lori walking down the camp. He got up, following her. She knew he wanted to say something, though.

“Mind your own business, Glenn,” Lori said curtly.

“You’re pregnant!” Glenn said.

She looked up at him in surprise and…was that fear? Did she really think he wouldn’t make the connection considering the item she asked him to get? And what was that fear for?

“You can’t tell anybody, okay?” she quickly asked.

They turned around at the sound of footsteps. Shane and Rick had come back from their search. She turned back to him with a desperate look.

“You haven’t told him yet?” Glenn asked in surprise.

Lori didn’t answer. She was pretending to be busy with her task as Rick and Shane got close. Glenn sighed exasperatedly, leaving her.

“Something wrong?” Lori asked as she approached Rick. She watched as Shane stomped off in agitation. She looked at her husband questioningly.

“I just had a long talk with Shane. He wants to call off the search,” he said.

She didn’t feel surprised. “What do you think?”

“What if it was Carl? Would you want us to keep looking?”

“If it was Carl, yes, I’d want to know one way or another,” she replied.

“Shane says my good intentions are making us weaker, that I can’t make the hard decisions for the good of the group,” Rick looked down.

“They’re all hard decisions.”

“But maybe I’m holding on to a way of thinking that doesn’t make sense any more. He says its math, basic survival, how much fuel, how much food, how much ammo. Not much room in that equation for being soft.” He shrugged, “It’s pretty simple when you start thinking of life like that.”

“Hey…” Lori cupped his face with her hands to get his attention. “None of us were prepared to be living life this way. You’re making the best decisions you can with the information you have. I don’t see soft in that.”

She looked determinedly into his eyes. He nodded slowly. Just then, Beth came to tell him that Hershel wanted to talk to him. Rick nodded. He went with her.

Hershel was angry. According to him, Daryl had stolen one of his horses and he didn’t like that he took Jimmy out with them in their search. Rick sighed. It seemed that Daryl was ‘borrowing’ without asking. He promised Hershel to talk to Daryl but Jimmy told him Hershel gave him his consent to join the search. Apparently, he did not.

If things like this kept happening, it wouldn’t be long before Hershel would kick them out. Rick sighed again, deeply.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

After the search parties left, Harry went to the edge of the farm where the fence was raised. He winced when he saw how big the land was. It would be a pain to ward it. He was no ward master and he didn’t have books on much stronger wards. If he pushed it, no matter how strong he was as the Master of Death, it wouldn’t last for even a day. Raising wards needed training and mastery. He could only do the basic and temporary ones.

“Maybe I should just ward the land around the house and the camp…” he murmured to himself.

Then he noticed something from the corner of his eye. He saw Otis walking into the woods with snare poles in his hands. Come to think of it, they hadn’t seen much of Otis since they had set up the camp. What was he doing in the woods without a weapon?

Harry shook his head. Ward first. Otis later.

He went back to the camp, picking up stones on the way. Big stones the size of his hand. He put a feather-light charm on them to make it easier to carry. He went into his tent and called out his wand. He started to carve by writing the runes on the stones with his wand and letting his magic do the carving. After he finished, he peeked out of the tent and didn’t see anyone. He put a notice-me-not charm on himself and carefully carried the carved stones outside. He chose his spot about fifty yards outside the camp and the house.

He found a shovel and started digging as deep as he could before planting one stone in it and burying it. He did this nine more times in a circle before planting the last stone in the middle of the circle, a spot between the house and the camp, as an anchor for the ward. Then he started chanting, standing on top of where the last stone was buried. He could feel the power of magic started gathering around him, the wind blowing a little, and then Harry tensed as he could feel the power rushing through him, acknowledging him as the master of the ward before going straight to the stone beneath him. He sighed in relief as the magic settled and an invisible shield sprung upward, forming a dome with radius no wider than where the stones were.

Harry stumbled as he walked back to the camp. He felt a little drained. The ward was wider than what he was used to making. He saw Lori and Glenn were talking near the fence at the edge of the camp. Beyond them, he saw Rick and Shane coming back from their search. That was quick. He canceled the charm on himself and dropped into a chair near the campfire.

He frowned when he saw Andrea on the roof of the RV holding and rifle. Dale walked over with a bucket in his hand. The old man looked surprised at seeing her up there.

“What’s with the Annie Oakley routine?” Dale asked chuckling.

“I don’t want to wash clothes any more, Dale. I want to help keep the camp safe. Is that all right with you?”

Dale exhaled at the snippy tone and went inside the RV. Not long after, Glenn stepped out with a sulky look. Harry and Andrea watched him with amused smile then she turned back to her watch and her smile dropped.

“Walker!” she said, drawing everyone’s attention in the camp. “Walker!”

Harry stood up. Rick immediately walked over. Something was stumbling and shuffling at the edge of the woods.

“Just the one?” the unofficial leader asked.

Harry watched Andrea picked up binoculars and watched the walker some more.

“I bet I can nail it from here,” Andrea said as she put down the binoculars in favor of the rifle.

“No, no,” Rick stopped her.

“Andrea, put the gun down. You’d best let us handle this,” Shane said as he picked up a pickaxe with T-Dog following him.

“Shane, hold up,” Rick stopped him. “Hershel wants to deal with walkers.”

“What for, man? We got it covered.”

“Damn,” Rick ran into the RV while Shane, Glenn and T-Dog ran towards the walker. Soon, Rick was running after them with a handgun.

Meanwhile, Andrea was holding a position ready to shoot. Harry frowned. Something was off. He closed his eyes and opened his senses. He focused on the area near the woods and snapped open his eyes.

“It’s Daryl. He’s hurt…”

With that, Harry also ran after the guys even though he was still a little tired. He didn’t know how much Daryl was hurt, but better be safe than sorry. Harry was always fast. It didn’t take long for him to catch up, just in time for when Rick pointed his gun at Daryl.

“No, wait! Guys, it’s Daryl,” he called out.

“It’s the third time you’ve pointed that thing at my head,” Daryl snarled at Rick. An arrow was stuck through the side of his body. “You’re gonna pull the trigger or what?”

Rick sighed in relief and lowered his gun.

“You’re hurt,” Harry went to check on his injury. But just as he stepped in front of the man, a gunshot was heard and pain exploded in his head. He saw something graze Daryl on the side of his head and then everything blacked out.

Everybody watched in shock as blood and brain matter sprayed from Harry’s head and Daryl fell to the ground. Harry fell forward.

“No...No…no…no…no…,” Shane chanted in shock and horror as Harry’s body landed on the ground. “NOOOO!!!”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The gunshot was heard throughout the land. Everybody in the house ran outside. They joined Dale and Andrea who jumped down from the RV and they all ran across the field towards Rick and the others. Andrea’s face was ashen white. Hershel was furious.

As they got closer, they saw two figures on the ground. Rick was checking on one while Shane cradling the other one.

“Oh my God! Oh my God!” Andrea cried as she saw the bodies. “I didn’t know…Oh my God…What did I do? I’m so sorry!”

Shane looked up at her, fury and hatred ran through his veins. “You bitch! You arrogant bitch! I told you we’d handle this! I told you to put the gun down!! You fucking bitch!”

He lunged at her but the guys were quick to stop him. Andrea recoiled from the attack. Shock, fear, regret and tears filled her eyes.

“I’m so sorry…I didn’t know…I didn’t expect him to step in front of…” Andrea looked at the other body and flinched. It wasn’t even a walker. It was Daryl. “Oh my God…Is Daryl dead too? Did I kill both of them?!”

“I told you to put the gun down! You should have listened! Now you killed him! You killed him!!”

“Shane! Shane, stop this!”

“Shane, come on, man!” T-Dog pushed him away from Andrea.

“Daryl’s fine, Andrea. You only grazed him,” Rick assured her.

“She killed Harry!!” was Shane’s furious roar.

Andrea dropped to the ground sobbing. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Oh my God…Harry!”

“Lori, bring her back to the camp…no, inside the house! We need to calm Shane,” Rick ordered as he struggled with a restrained Shane. God, he never knew his best friend was this strong. Three men restrained him for God’s sake!

Lori had a frightened look on her face but nodded. She pulled Andrea to her feet with Maggie’s help.

“Come on, Andrea. It’s better to get you out of Shane’s sight for now,” Lori said.

“Oh my God…! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Harry!” Andrea was bordering on hysterical now.

Everybody else was watching the scene in shock. Glenn was still struggling with holding Shane back with Rick and T-Dog. Was the man really this strong? They couldn’t even tackle him to the ground. Hershel snapped out of his shock when he heard a groan from Daryl and went to check on him. Dale looked at Harry’s body sadly. Never did he imagine that one of them would die by the hand of one of their own instead of walkers.

Then something strange and shocking happened. Dale jerked away in surprise when he saw the pieces of brain matter on the ground twitch and slowly roll back to the body.

“Guys! You need to see this!” Dale shouted in shock and fear.

“What is it, Dale?” Rick shouted back.

“It’s Harry!!”

It was Carol’s scream that made the men stopped struggling against each other. They turned and saw something unbelievable happened. It made their knees weak and a chill ran up their spines. Pieces of flesh and brain matter were rolling and twitching closer and closer to Harry and slowly settled inside his head. They watched with eyes nearly falling out of their sockets as the wound healed and the hair grew back until no evidence of shooting was left behind. It was like Harry had never been shot and was just sleeping on the ground.

“What… What the hell is that?!” Glenn cried hysterically. “Did you see that? It just…it just…I don’t know what that is!”

Suddenly, the body twitched. Everybody stepped back in fear. Their hands immediately went to their weapons. A couple of twitches, the arms moved up and suddenly the body pushed itself off the ground with a loud gasp. Everyone stepped a couple more feet away. Shane was the only who was watching the whole thing in stunned silence without reacting.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry pushed himself up and gasped loudly as he realized he couldn’t breathe. He coughed harshly, turned around only to fall on his side. His vision blurred a little before coming into focus. He saw everyone was looking at him with wide eyes filled with shock, amazement, disbelief and fear. Weapons were pointed at him.

He panted. His eyes narrowed in confusion. Then he saw Daryl on his side still unconscious with an arrow sticking out of his side and he remembered. He paused as he took in the memories of his death, again, and from the looks he got, he knew they had witnessed his resurrection. He gulped.

“Hello, guys,” he rasped, licking his lips nervously.

“Har…Harry? Harry?” Rick asked incredulously. “What…”

“But you’re dead!” Glenn shouted. “You’re dead! Andrea shot you in the head and your brain was…all over the place! You’re dead!!”

Harry flinched away from the shout. His eyes landed on Shane. The man looked catatonic. The wizard feared he might have fallen into catatonic shock when Shane suddenly stepped closer.

“Shane!” Rick warned, his gun never leaving Harry.

“It’s okay, Rick,” Harry stood up with his arms up in surrender. “You know what I can do, remember? This is part of it.”

“Seriously?” Glenn asked incredulously but Rick was already relaxed enough to lower his gun.

“What the hell he’s talking about?” T-Dog snapped. “That is not normal, man!”

But before anyone could say anything, Harry yelped in surprise as he suddenly was engulfed in a fierce hug. He grabbed Shane’s shoulder to balance himself as the man squeezed the air out of him.

“You’re alive…” Shane’s voice was shaking. His whole body was trembling. “You’re alive…Harry…”

“Yes, Shane,” Harry leant his face against the side of Shane’s head. “I’m alive…I’ll always be alive…”

Shane pulled back and looked at him, checking his head to make sure this was real. His eyes were rimmed red and a little teary. He opened his mouth but no sound came out so he closed his jaw with a click and pulled Harry into a long, heated kiss. Harry squeaked at the unexpected move but quickly let himself enjoy the ride.

Many of their friends blinked in surprise. He heard someone speak. Lori’s voice. Then there were shouts and screams and demands for answers but both Shane and Harry didn’t care. They let Rick handle the others and just drowned in their own little world. Harry was going to let this go on as long as he could before the inevitable confrontation.

**~ To be continued ~**


	13. Chapter 12

“I told you! I told you there’s something wrong with him!”

“Nothing’s wrong with Harry!”

“He just came back from the dead! His brain was blown up!”

“How did that happen anyway?”

“We have to do something.”

“Do what? He hasn’t done anything wrong!”

“Oh my God! You two let him near my son! God knows what he did to Carl!”

“He saved our son, Lori!”

“He’s a freak!”

Harry flinched from his place inside the tent he shared with Shane. There were more rounds of shouts and screams and arguments outside. Most of them were confused, some of them were scared and some were hostile. Lori was the most vocal one about him being bad news. The Greene’s were neutral on this matter because they were not part of the group. As long as Harry didn’t harm them or anything, they had no problem.

Only Shane and Daryl were the ones who had been accepting. He had healed Daryl as soon as he saw his condition. Thankfully, the man’s injuries were not bad. He healed it in a couple of minutes. Hershel had been sending him more calculating looks ever since his resurrection and after he watched him healing Daryl, just like when he saved Carl the first day. Harry had a feeling the old man wanted something from him and that was the only reason they were still welcome on this farm.

“This is stupid! We’ve got more important things to do,” Daryl snapped.

“And what is that?!”

“I found Sophia’s doll washed up on the creek bed right there. She must have dropped it crossing there somewhere.”

“Cuts the grid almost in half.”

Harry could see Daryl and Rick bending over a map from where he was peeking. Lori looked furious at being ignored.

“There’s more important matter here than a missing little girl! How about that dangerous man right in the middle of our camp?!”

“How could you say that?” Carol looked shock, “That’s my daughter you’re talking about!”

“I’m sure she didn’t mean it like how it sounds, Carol,” Andrea assured her softly. “But we do need to get some answers.”

Lori took a deep breath calming herself. “I’m sorry, Carol. Andrea’s right…I’m just…I don’t want to take a chance that Harry could be some kind of…more advanced and dangerous walker or something…”

Shane snorted rudely. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“You just don’t want to see it because you’re fucking him. I never took you for a faggot,” Lori hissed.

“Lori, enough!!” Rick barked angrily, yanking her arm to make his point. She looked shocked. “We owe Harry our son’s life and you’ve been very ungrateful since day one! Do you really want our son dead?”

“No! Of course not! But…”

“What do you want to do? Kill him?! You saw what happened before. He just came back to life. What makes you think you can do anything to him?”

“And what makes you think I will let you do anything to him?” That was Shane growling.

“How about my daughter? Do you all forgot that my daughter’s still out there alone?!” Carol cried in frustration.

“We will find her, Carol,” Rick assured her. “Daryl has found the first evidence that Sophia’s somewhere near here. We could organize another search tomorrow at first light, all right?”

“Where’s Harry anyway?” Dale asked.

“I told him to stay in our tent until everyone calmed the fuck down,” Shane snapped. “He doesn’t need any crap like this…” he motioned to an offended looking Lori, “…from you guys.”

“Look, I don’t think he’s evil or something, okay? I like Harry. He’s a good guy. But like Andrea said, I think we need answers,” T-Dog said calmly.

“I agree with T-Dog,” Dale said. “Harry’s a good guy.”

Lori looked angry that no one else agreed with her opinion. Rick and Shane exchanged looks. Rick nodded, earning a sigh from Shane.

“All right, but if anyone gives him nonsense shit, I’m going to cut the show off, are we clear?” Shane warned.

“I think I can handle the situation just fine, Shane,” Harry said as he stepped out of the tent. They all tensed slightly before relaxing a second later.

“Sorry you had to hear that, Harry,” Rick said apologetically.

Harry snorted. “I was in a tent with thin fabric as walls and you guys didn’t bother to lower your voices. What do you expect?” he looked around the camp, “Is everyone here?”

“No,” Rick shook his head. “Hershel’s daughters are at the house. He’s going to tell them whatever you’re going to tell us later.”

“How’s Carl by the way? I didn’t get the chance to check on him today but he should be up and running now…”

“He’s none of your business,” Lori snapped.

“Lori!” Rick glared then turned to Harry. “He’s fine. He should be up now but Lori wants him to rest at least another day before he does anything.”

Harry nodded.

“Harry…how…how do you come back from…” Andrea asked tentatively.

“From death?” Harry smiled softly. “I’ve…I’ve always been like this, Andrea. When I was a child, I was always difficult to kill. A lot of…quoting my former professor’s words…dumb luck on my side. When I was seventeen, something happened to me that made me…unable to die.”

“What are you?” T-Dog asked at the same time Andrea asked, “Are you really okay? I mean, I shot you in the head…”

“I’m fine, Andrea. I always come back a hundred percent healthy whenever I’m…resurrected. And to answer T’s question…it depends on what you want to know…”

“You said you’re a wizard…,” Glenn trailed off.

“Wait, you know about this?” Lori asked snappily. “Who else knows about this?”

“Only me, Shane, Glenn and Daryl,” Rick replied.

“A wizard? Like a wand waving, magic casting, potion brewing, broom riding wizard? Witch?” T-Dog asked confused.

“How about we all take a seat before we talk?” Dale suggested. “It’d be more comfortable.”

Everyone agreed and each took a spot circling the campfire. Only Shane and Daryl sat the closest to Harry. Shane because he was busy wrapping his arms around Harry, settling the younger man between his legs and Daryl because he didn’t care one way or another. The others, even though not all of them were hostile, were still wary of these unknown things about Harry. After all, they had just witnessed someone coming back from death.

“Okay, so…there are small numbers of people in this world that were born with the power to bend the elements around them, the law of physics. They’re called wizards and witches. I am a wizard. I can do…for lack of better word, magic. Like how I healed Daryl earlier until there was no scratch left on him, that’s healing magic…”

“So, wait…you mean there are others like you?” Glenn asked curiously.

Harry smiled. “Yes…last time I checked, there were about a quarter million of magical people in America’s magical population. The United States had the largest magical population in the world.”

“What?! How? How did we never see any of them then?” T-Dog asked surprise.

“Because we lived in our own world, behind the Muggle World…muggles are what we called the normal people, the non-magical folks, like you guys. There are wards that prevent muggles from seeing the Wizarding World. Whenever a Muggle is about to look in our direction, the wards will compel them to look in the other direction or that muggle suddenly remembers that they’re busy and have another thing to do and that would lead them away from magical places.”

“That’s mind control!” Lori looked disgusted.

“No, that’s more like…persuasion. Mind control is dark magic. It will give you one way ticket to magical prison.”

“You have prison?”

“Yes. We have our own governments in each country that has magical population. We have our own banks, schools, hospitals, shopping districts, and many other things you could find in Muggle World, only ours are the magical version. Magical and muggle governments co-exist with each other but we mostly keep to ourselves. You can rarely find a wizard or a witch that would mingle among muggles. Our cultures are just too different. Even most muggleborns, that means wizards or witches who were born to non-magical parents, stay in the magical world after the introduction to our world.”

“What can you do besides healing? You said you can do mind control even though it’s breaking the law?”

“Yes. Like many things in this world, magic also has balance. Rich and poor, healthy and sick, good and evil, dark and light. I mostly practice Light Magic, but there’s also Dark Magic. None of those are specifically bad or good…magic has the potential to help people or do harm, it depends on the wizard’s intent when using it. One thing that is taught to first year students in school is levitation. For example…” Harry called out his wand, earning gasps from many, and pointed it at a kettle near the fire. “Wingardium Leviosa.”

Many gasped again in surprise and amazement as the kettle lifting itself to the air and circling around the campfire before settling back on its earlier place.

“Whoa…” Glenn said in amazement.

“Yeah, whoa.” T-Dog’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets.

“What else can you do?” Shane asked him.

“Many things. I used to lived alone so I know a lot of household spells, like this,” Harry waved his wand to a basket of laundry and it flew away washing itself. He waved to the kitchen area and food supplies and the items floated around and started cooking things. A broom, sweeping leaves on the ground by itself, passed the group. The dried laundry from this morning pulled free from the clothespins and folded neatly into empty basket. Then the newly washed laundry floated to Harry and with a wave, they were dried in an instant and folded and then joined its companions in the basket. A plate of simple dinner presented itself in front of Harry and he started eating. In a few minutes, most of their housework was finished.

There was stunned silence.

“Okay…double whoa!” Glenn exclaimed.

“That’s…amazing…” Dale said breathless.

“Yeah…” Andrea said softly. “Thank you…now we can relax and laze around tomorrow.”

Harry chuckled.

“Don’t suppose you’re going to share that? I’m starving,” Daryl said. Another plate floated to him.

“That’s it? That’s your reaction? How can you be so accepting?! Didn’t you see what he’s doing? He’s trying to brainwash you into thinking he’s not dangerous with this…this…freaky magic of his!” Lori protested.

“Lori…”

“If he’s so useful, why didn’t he do anything more to help us before? Hell, ever since he joined our group, we’ve been bombarded with trouble upon trouble. How can you be sure that he’s not the one who brought them upon us? Our people are dead because of him!”

“Now, that’s enough!” Shane jumped to his feet.

“Shane’s right. You have no proof about what you’re saying, Lori,” Rick snapped.

“It’s okay. Really. She’s not the first person that reacted like that to magic. My relatives are magic-hating people. That’s why they hated me so much,” Harry said calmly.

“They should! Things like you shouldn’t exist. It breaks nature’s laws…God’s laws…”

Harry burst out laughing, shutting her up. “Nature is why magic exist in the first place,” he chortled. “Gaia…Mother of Earth…is the one who gives the gift of magic to us, wizards and witches. We are Her children. And for God…didn’t His son, Jesus, also heal people? He even raised people from the dead, if the myth is anything go by…”

“It’s not a myth. It’s God’s power, a miracle…”

“Oh, so if it’s God who does it, it’s a miracle but if a wizard or a witch does it, it’s…what? Satanic?” Harry scoffed. “Look around you then. Where is God when the world falls apart, huh? Where’s His miracle?”

Lori clammed up, glaring. “Well, if you’re so powerful, if Mother of Nature or whatever gives you power, then where are your people in this mess? Why don’t they help the situation? Why don’t you?”

Harry’s face fell. Lori smirked in triumph. Many in their group disliked the way she was acting but they were also curious about what these magical people had done to help them.

“International Statue of Secrecy…” Harry said softly.

“What?”

“It’s an international law that forbids any wizard or witch from performing magic in front of muggles or telling them about the magical world unless they are family. If someone breaks the law, the law enforcement would come for them and a special group would be send to wipe the memories of the muggles about anything magic. The lawbreaker would spend a few months in prison and have to pay a large fine as punishment. That law was created after the Salem Witch Trials and the magical world decided to live separately, in hiding, from muggles.” Harry looked up at her. “I just performed a handful of magic and told you guys about my world.” He gestured around them. “Do you see anyone coming for me?”

Silence.

“No one is going to come to punish me or to wipe your memories. No one in the Wizarding World is going to do anything about the apocalypse. Because our populations in total were only about one million people in the world and no one is left from my world. No one! My people are extinct because of this bloody apocalypse!” Harry snapped at her, eyes welling up with tears of pain. “Maybe I didn’t do anything more to help you people because I didn’t want to find out if no one is going to come for me! Because that would mean I’m the only one left! My family, my friends, my people…they’re all gone! Are you happy now? We freaks are gone from this world!”

Harry threw his plate down and ran away, leaving the group behind. Shane glared at Lori who looked down guiltily before running after Harry.

“Great job, Lori,” Andrea sneered. “Never took you for being such a racist bitch! I bet you’re happy that a race is extinct now. Dead. Down to the last baby.”

“I’m really disappointed with you, Lori,” Rick sent a disgusted look at her. “He saved our son. If not for his magic, God knows what would’ve happened to Carl and you still discriminate against him for it?”

Lori flinched at the “baby” word. “I…”

“Maybe we should get something to eat first and then retire to our own tents,” Dale suggested. “I think we all need the time to think and process this information.”

Everyone agreed about the suggestion. Hershel invited them back to the house for dinner since the women were already halfway finished with the dinner preparation before this incident and his daughters should have finished it already. The atmosphere was kind of gloomy, though. No one said anything. Their minds were still reeling with what Harry had revealed.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane found Harry at the edge of woods, near the spot where he was shot earlier that evening. The man flinched at the memory but forced himself to focus on the wizard who was sobbing his heart out right now. He walked closer and sat on the ground beside him.

“Hey, Kitten…” Shane called softly.

Harry didn’t even turn around. He just held in his sobs until they were mere sniffles. Shane brought his arm around the smaller man’s shoulder, bringing him close until Harry’s head was resting on his chest.

“I’ve never…” Harry began but it came out in stammers, “I’ve never…ever before…said that out loud. I know it in my mind…I thought about it all…the time…but never before I had said it out loud…that my people…that everyone is gone…it’s stupid, but I feel like if I had said it, it would make it all real…So much for that…it’s all real whether I say it or not anyway…”

“It’s not stupid. The only reason I never think the same is because I’m surrounded by everyone in the group. You’re different so it’s justified how you feel about it,” Shane murmured, kissing his forehead. “And don’t you listen to Lori. She’s…not like herself lately…I don’t know why she’s acting like that…”

Harry snorted. “She’s a bitch. She always has been like that…She just never showed it…but everyone has his or her breaking point. Believe me, I know…my relatives were the same…” Harry sniffled some more, “I bet the next chance she has she would blame the apocalypse on my people…”

“Shush…. Don’t listen to her then…No matter what they think, just remember I’m here for you…”

“Thanks…” Harry sniffed and burrowed his head under the older man’s chin.

They sat there in silence as Shane rocked Harry back and forth in comfort in his arms.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Glenn felt excited at the chance of having sex with Maggie again. He didn’t expect that after the way she acted after their first time, kind of aloof and hinting that he wasn’t that good and that she wasn’t even sure she liked him. What a way to boost a guy’s confidence.

His mind was also spinning with the revelation from Harry before. Magic! Imagine that!

But for now, all of that was forgotten. He got another note from Maggie earlier at the awkward dinner everyone had, except for Shane and Harry who went off who knows where. Maggie was interested in another fun time with him. He wrote back that he would wait for her at the barn, where the chance of Hershel finding out about them was slim.

That was where he was heading now. The barn was locked, though. He looked for away to get in and found stairs to climb to the second floor from the outside. So he climbed. When he got in, though, something felt off. He heard very familiar soft growls and snarls. And then the smell came. God, it was horrible. Pointing his flashlight to the first floor, he found walkers everywhere.

He was stunned.

He whirled around in panic, running back towards the window, eager to get out as fast as he could to warn the other, only to find himself face to face with Maggie climbing through the second floor window, looking as panicked as he felt.

“You weren’t supposed to see this,” she said.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Everyone woke up earlier than usual the next morning. It seemed they couldn’t sleep after what had happened. Harry found himself being the center of attention of everyone. It had been a long time since he was in this kind of situation, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. The moment he stepped out of his tent, everything stopped before they started again but the people in the group didn’t stop sending him curious glances.

Harry knew he looked tired. It was really exhausting crying his grief out all night. Well, probably not all night. He didn’t remember getting back to the tent so he assumed that he fell asleep and Shane carried him back. That thought made him blush a little.

Harry was grateful for the man. Shane wasn’t the accepting type when it came to something so foreign or he didn’t have any idea about. Not because he was a bigot but he was an alpha male, more so than Rick, and if he didn’t know something he wouldn’t be able to prepare to protect against it and it just went against his nature, as the alphas’ instincts were to lead and protect. Once he knew, though, he would accept it or reject it depending on the situation. So, Harry was surprised that Shane accepted him without question, even though there were so many things that were still unclear.

But then again, Shane let Rick lead the group. He didn’t know whether he did it out of loyalty or guilt for the affair he had with Lori, but if he had to guess, Harry would say he did it out of loyalty because Rick was his best friend and brother and because the man was more patient when dealing with people. He thought that last part dryly. After all, Shane could be quite impatient when someone questioned his words but Rick understood him and they could talk without killing each other so they usually found common ground in every decision.

“So…Harry…Are you okay?” Andrea suddenly asked in concern.

Harry smiled. “It’s okay, Andrea. You don’t need to keep asking and feeling guilty. I’m fine. See?”

She returned his smile with a wane one of her own. “I need to keep feeling guilty, Harry. To keep me from making the same mistake again. I’m just lucky that neither you or Daryl is dead because of my…arrogance…” She took a deep breath. “I already apologized to Daryl and he said no hard feelings, so…I wanna say…I’m sorry, Harry.”

Harry had to smile wider at that. It must be painful for her to admit her mistake and it showed Harry that she was willing to improve and be a better person. He sat on the campfire and patted the spot beside him. She took it without any hesitation.

“So…what you said before…about your life… Was it true?”

He could see everyone trying to eavesdrop at their conversation. Everyone except Rick and Shane who were who knows where. Then he remembered today was the gun training day. The two men probably went to plan the lesson.

“It’s true. It’s all true. I just…omitted the magical parts of the story…”

“Like what?”

“The…Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter and Black are old families. The old pureblood Wizarding families, to be exact. The terrorist group…was a band of dark wizards called Death Eaters led by a dark lord who was hell bent on pureblood supremacy and world domination.”

“What’s that?”

Harry turned to the sound and saw Shane and Rick coming up to them, with a map and two cups of coffee in each hand. The men took a seat on the campfire. They were also interested with the stories. Following their lead, the others abandoned their tasks to join them. To be honest, it was pointless anyway to pretend to do something as most of their tasks were finished last night with Harry’s demonstration.

“What? Pureblood supremacy?”

They nodded.

“It’s…uh…like the non-magical world, the magical world also has bigots and racism…even more so because we don’t have only one sentient being but…a dozen others. Like werewolves, vampires, veela’s…”

“Wait, all of those things from the legends are real?” T-Dog looked shocked.

“Yes…anyway, they are categorized as magical creatures, so they’re not even human in the eyes of wizards. Among wizards themselves, there is blood discrimination. Some people believe that all wizards and witches deserve to have their magic and learn how to use it no matter their family background, while some others believe that only those that come from magical bloodlines that deserve to have their magic. There are three types of blood status among wizards. The pureblood, those who can trace their lineage back for several centuries without being tainted by muggles or muggleborns blood or have at the very least four magical grandparents. The half-blood, those who were born to one pureblood parent and a muggle or muggleborn parent. Then there’s the muggleborns, or as most of the purebloods love to called them, the mudbloods. They’re the ones who were born to muggle parents.”

“And there’s the squibs,” Daryl added.

“Squibs?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded. “A squib is a non-magical child born to magical parents. They’re rare but still happen. Daryl said his mother was a squib. That means he’s one too. One day, one of his children or his grandchildren would have the potential to possess magic because it’s in their blood.”

“So…pureblood supremacy is a belief that only those with pure blood deserve to have magic?” Shane guessed.

“That and maybe also half-bloods. And all muggles are beneath wizard kind and should be terminated or at the very least, become useful slaves.”

“What?!”

Harry shrugged. “Most of the ones who believe that come from Dark Families. I’m a half-blood. My father came from a Light pureblood family and my mother was a muggleborn. They fought against Voldemort, the dark lord I told you about earlier, because they didn’t agree with their beliefs. They were members of the Order of the Phoenix, a vigilante group that fought against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It was a civil war in Wizarding Britain.”

“And you were also a target because you support your parents’ belief,” Andrea nodded understandingly.

“Not really. Not long before I was born, a prophecy was created…”

“A prophecy?” T-Dog asked, unbelieving. “You believe in those too?”

“Me? Not so much. But Voldemort believed in them, as did Dumbledore, the…unofficial leader of the Light side. Look, I guess it’s better if I start with my life story from the beginning…”

Then Harry retold the story, this time with the magical world involved. How he grew up normal and treated badly by his relatives, the Dursley’s. How he slept in the cupboard under the stairs for the first ten years of life after coming to the Dursley’s. How he didn’t know his own name until he was enrolled into school. All he had ever been called with was “Freak” or “Boy”. Then one day, before his eleventh birthday, he got a letter of invitation, saying that he was accepted to Hogwarts, a magical school. He told them about how despite his uncle’s best efforts, a half-giant came to deliver his acceptance letter and told him about his heritage. How his parents were not worthless drunks who got themselves killed and couldn’t even bother to make sure their son died with them. Instead, he found out how his relatives hated him and his parents because they were magical and abnormal in their eyes. How his parents were a respectable wizard and witch who were murdered by a cruel and evil man. How his father told his mother to run with their son and how his mother sacrificed herself to save him and how by doing so, she enacted an ancient magic that protected him and rebounded the killing curse back to Voldemort, reducing him into nothing but a ghostly wraith form.

He told them about his first year in school, where he had friends for the first time in his life. How the Golden Trio, as he later found out they were called by the entire school, found out about the Sorcerer’s Stone. About Quirrell. About Voldemort trying to resurrect himself. Then he moved on to his second year, telling them about the attack, being a parselmouth, the Chamber of Secrets, the diary and Ginny being kidnapped. How he confronted the younger version of Voldemort and a sixty long foot basilisk. How he survived the encounter. Then on third year, he found out that the escape convict and mass murderer Sirius Black was targeting him and trying to kill him, that he was the one who betrayed Harry’s parents to Voldemort. Spending the school year around dementors and learning the patronus charm to defend himself against them. How after all the hatred and anger he felt, he found out that Sirius wasn’t the one who betrayed his parents but it was Pettigrew who disguised himself as his best friend’s pet rat for twelve years. How he and Hermione had to go back in time to save Sirius.

Fourth year was nothing better. Starting with the Quidditch World Cup and then the Triwizard Tournament. The loss of his best friend and other friends, how everyone in school turned their backs on him for something he couldn’t control, believing him to be an attention-seeking liar. At the end of the tournament, he found himself in a graveyard and how Cedric was with him and was killed by Pettigrew because Harry wanted to do the right and noble thing. How Voldemort used his blood to get a new body. How he escaped that fateful encounter and told everyone about what happened and no one believed him except for his headmaster, best friends, godfather and a handful of people. Then the next year, things just got worst. The dementors’ attacked him and his cousin. The trial. The ministry’s manipulation and unwillingness to acknowledge the danger of a second war. How everyone, except the few people who believed in him, shunned him. Even Dumbledore was seen as a barmy old man who had reached past his time to retire. About his occlumency lessons. About Umbridge. About the visions. Then came the incident in the Department of Mysteries where Sirius died by the hands of his own cousin. How everyone, even Fudge himself, saw Voldemort fighting Dumbledore before he escaped with his followers. And then he learnt about the prophecy. The blasted prophecy that started caused all the misery in his life. About why Voldemort attacked his family and Neville’s family was attacked by Death Eaters.

Sixth year, suddenly everyone worshipped him again. Whispers about him being the Chosen One spread out. How the Wizarding Britain depended on him to defeat Voldemort once again, this time, hopefully, permanently. How he learnt about Voldemort’s horcruxes that year. How Hogwarts was invaded and Dumbledore died by the hands of his most trusted person, Snape. Everything falling apart with Dumbledore’s death and the dark side to taking over the Ministry of Magic and controlling everything. Harry and his friends going on the run to hunt down the horcruxes. They were listed as the Undesirables by the new ministry. How the Battle of Hogwarts happened. Finding out he was a horcrux and that Snape had been on their side all this time. How he accepted his fate to die and trusted his friends to carry out the rest of the plan to defeat Voldemort and end the war. How instead of the afterlife, he found himself on a King Cross Station version of limbo with Dumbledore waiting for him. How he had the choice of going back to life because the killing curse only kills one soul and since there were two souls in his body, Harry could choose whether he wanted to die with the horcrux or go back, leaving the horcrux to die alone. He chose to live and he fought Voldemort in the end and won. How the war ended with the loss of so many lives.

Then three years later, he found out that he couldn’t die. He went to search for answers but found nothing. Then he noticed he also didn’t age. So he settled down in the Muggle World where no one could find him and became a doctor while studying magical healing on the side. Then just when his career began, the apocalypse struck. He passed out and found the ghosts of his friends and family. He became numb to everything. Feeling lost, he didn’t know what to do, couldn’t even die to end his suffering. Then he found their group and the rest was history.

Silence hung heavily over the camp.

“That…sounds like something that would come out of fantasy movies,” T-Dog finally said faintly.

Harry chuckled, “It is, isn’t it?”

“So…the reason why you came back to life is because of this…Master of Death thing?” Shane asked.

Harry nodded. “I’ve been trying to find a way to get rid of this title but so far…nada.”

“Why? Why would you want to get rid of it? That’s like…the dream every human in the world has,” Glenn asked.

“And…if all of you die today? Tomorrow? Next month? Next year? What would happen to me?” Harry asked. “I was already left alone by my people. They all already passed on. And right now, I’m facing a future where if any of you die, if human kind die, the only thing that would keep me company for eternity is walkers.”

Nobody had anything to say to that. It was indeed a very horrible future in the waiting. Whatever jealousy they had over his immortality disappeared, it suddenly didn’t look so great when you only had walkers as company in life.

“Is there really nothing the magical world can do about this? Maybe they had researched this thing before they…uh…maybe they found something.”

Harry shook his head. “I doubt it. If these walkers came from magical means then maybe they would be able to do something. But so far, there’s nothing magic in them. They’re pure muggle…and I say that not for blaming muggles, it’s just the way we say something that happens that is not by magical means.”

“Nothing at all?”

“Yeah…sorry. If they were inferis then all we would have to do is find the source of the magic and cancel it.”

“What are inferis?

“Inferis…are zombies. Like walkers…”

“Wait, you have zombies?”

“So this is your people’s fault after all! All the deaths and everything?” Lori looked outraged.

Harry sent Shane a see-I-told-you-so look. The man looked at Lori in annoyance.

“If you’ll allow me to explain…an inferi is created with dark magic. They function with magic alone. No matter how many times you blow their brains out, their bodies would just keep moving. As long as the source of the dark magic isn’t destroyed or the one who created them doesn’t cancel it or die, there’s no stopping until their job is done.”

Everyone looked ill at the idea. At least, walkers stopped when their brains were damaged.

“Inferis also don’t infect people. The only other way to stop inferis is by burning them and even then, you have to use Fiendfyre. It’s a magical fire spell that’s very wild, powerful and difficult to control. Only a really powerful wizard can do that. A classmate of mine burned down our school’s magical storage room and all its contents and enchantments because of the uncontrollable fire. He almost killed himself and his friends in the progress. Walkers are different from inferis. First, there’s no dark wizard that would be powerful enough to raise so many dead people at once, all over the world. Secondly, there’s no trace of magic in them. Thirdly, well, fire is kind of useless against them, unless you burn them long enough to reach their brains, and they also died, again, after their brains blow up.

Merlin, the reason why the Wizarding World fell so quickly was because they thought the walkers were inferis. They were probably running around looking for the source of dark magic to destroy and didn’t realize they were wrong until it was too late. So, no, it’s not the wizards that created walkers. Like I said, even Jenner who knew about us said that it’s not magical. It’s either a virus or parasite or toxin or something else.”

“Jenner knew about your people? How? Was he a wizard too?”

“No, but his wife was. She was a Greengrass, an old pureblood and dark Wizarding family. She was disowned by her family because she fell in love with and married a muggle. She was what the dark pureblood families called a blood traitor.”

“No offense, Harry…but your world sounds really…”

“Backwards? I know. Merlin, we literally still stuck in middle age. There’s no electricity because machines don’t react well with magic. I once blew up a television, a laptop and a car because my magic went haywire. I learnt to control it better after that. We wear robes and cloaks, write on parchments with quills and ink instead of paper and pens. And the purebloods still have the nerve to look down on muggles when they really have no idea how advanced the Muggle World has become in the last century. Not to mention you people outnumbered us so much it wasn’t even funny.”

“Yeah, eight billion to one million. But I don’t think that’s still the case…on either side,” Dale said looking grim.

Harry nodded sadly at that.

“Well, now I know why you cussed with ‘Merlin’ so much,” Glenn chimed in.

**~ To be continued ~**


	14. Chapter 13

This time, it was the barn that Glenn watched anxiously with Shane’s binoculars. He was feeling nervous and jumpy ever since last night’s discovery. He wanted to tell the group but…

“Could you be more obvious?”

Glenn almost jumped into the air when Maggie suddenly appeared in front of the lenses. He gasped as he tried to calm his heartbeat.

“Here, enjoy,” Maggie said, placing a basket of fruits in front of him.

“Are you trying to buy my silence with fruit?” he asked incredulously.

“Of course not. There’s also jerky.”

“Will you please tell me why your dad has a secret barn full of walkers? It’s creepy! You know that, right?”

Maggie shushed him, “Just trust me on this, okay?”

“But I suck at lying. I can’t even play poker. It’s too much like lying.”

“You have to keep this to yourself. You have to. Please,” she pleaded.

Glenn sighed as she walked away, leaving the basket with him.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Carl came out of the house for the first time since he was wounded. Lori looked really happy to see him on his feet now, even though she still wanted him to take it easy. Her smile fell went she saw him run towards the recently revealed wizard in their group, though.

“Harry! Is it true?” Carl asked him excitedly. “Is it true that you’re a wizard and you can do magic? Dad told me! He said you healed me with magic, is that true?”

Harry smiled fondly at the boy. “Yes, it’s true. But your stomach is still tender because of the wound, so take it easy, all right? I didn’t get to heal it perfectly because I was exhausted at the time. We don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“Can you show me some magic?” Carl pleaded.

“Of course. Uh…wait a minute,” Harry looked around and found T-Dog. He was helping Dale with the RV. “T-Dog! Come here for a minute, would ya?”

The man turned at the call. He looked at Dale and shrugged. The old man nodded. Seconds later, he was at the wizard’s side.

“What’s up, man?”

“Give me your arm. The injured one,” Harry told him. “Since you guys know everything now, I’m going to heal it…at once. If you trust me.”

T-Dog looked at him then shrugged. “Sure, Harry. It would be nice if I didn’t have to be careful when working. It won’t hurt, right?”

“No, it won’t hurt,” Harry chuckled.

Harry opened the bandages. The wound was healing nicely, but it was still vulnerable if strained. He cast a diagnostic spell and the result appeared, hovering above the wound.

“Whoa!” Carl exclaimed in awe.

“Well, it shouldn’t be a problem to heal it,” Harry commented. With that, he banished the stitches and before blood could flow out, he healed it with a swish of his wand.

T-Dog looked at his arm, amazed. He touched the smooth skin, pressed it a little and moved his arm around.

“How does it feel?”

“It’s great. Thanks,” T-Dog grinned.

“You’re welcome,” Harry nodded.

“That’s so cool,” Carl breathed in amazement.

“Yeah, that’s really cool. Come on, Carl,” Lori touched her son’s shoulder. “Let’s help Hershel with the chickens, okay?”

Harry caught the look she sent him and looked away. T-Dog frowned as he watched her and Carl leave, with the boy complaining all the way about wanting to see more magic.

“Hey, don’t mind her, okay?” T-Dog said to him, concerned.

The smaller man smiled wanly. “It’s okay, T. I understand her. Humans tend to hate and be afraid of something they don’t understand. I mean, don’t tell me none of you feel uncomfortable with me.”

“Hey, that’s not true…”

“No, it’s true. You don’t know what else I’m capable of. If you did, you wouldn’t be so relaxed and accepting around me. If y’all knew…there are so many things you can blame on me because I was selfish and a coward,” Harry sniffed.

“Hey hey hey…don’t be like that. You didn’t do any magic because you were afraid of knowing for sure that your people were gone. I get that. And I’m sorry that they are, okay?”

“Even if I could have saved Amy and Jim and everybody else that died at the camp? Even if I could have saved Sophia if I wasn’t such a coward?”

“We’ll find Sophia, Harry. I promise you that.”

Harry opened his mouth but then closed it again. He just nodded mutely.

“Good. Now, I’m going back to Dale to fix that RV a little bit. We’re going to start the gun training in a couple of hours,” T-Dog said.

Harry just nodded. He was thinking to himself. Since when had he been a coward like this? He was a Gryffindor, for Merlin’s sake! Sophia was dead and he couldn’t tell them! He had to tell them but how?

He found Shane and Rick was talking about the gun training at the meeting spot, as Harry tended to call the hood of Rick’s car these days. Jimmy was watching them.

“Hey, Kitten,” Shane greeted him.

Harry scowled.

“Kitten?” Rick looked amused.

“It fits,” Shane shrugged, smirking. “His eyes glow in the dark and he can see with them, in the dark, I mean.”

Rick just shook his head, chuckling as Shane got hit in the gut by his “kitten”.

“So you’re the freaky wizard Hershel told us about, huh? Say, can you pull a rabbit out of a hat?” Jimmy smirked at him.

“Hey!” Shane barked in warning.

“No. But I can come back to life after being shot in the head,” Harry smiled coldly at him. “I also could make you run around the farm dancing the ballet in a pink tutu while singing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’.”

That was enough to make the smirk disappear into a scowl. Shane snorted loudly while Rick tried to hide his smile.

“Planning a lesson?” Harry asked.

“Uh…”

“We’re trying to locate where Sophia might be from where Daryl found her doll,” Rick told him.

“Oh…right…” Harry didn’t know what to say.

“Hey, Harry, I just remembered. That spell you did in the woods to find the direction Sophia went in, can you do it again?” Rick asked.

“I…don’t think that it would help,” Harry said.

“What? Why? It could be really helpful, you know…”

“I tried…the night I went on my own. I used that spell too but it only held for half an hour and then it failed…”

“Failed? What do you mean failed?”

“Uh…”

“Can you show us?”

Harry nodded. He pulled out his wand and did the spell. The result was just as he said. The wand just whirled around before falling back onto his hand. Jimmy was watching with wide eyes.

“Do you know what caused this?” Rick asked frowning.

“I have no idea…”

Rick didn’t look like he fully believed him but before he could ask, Shane was whistling in appreciation at something.

“Hey! Peaches,” he grinned.

Glenn approached them with a basket full of peaches, offering the fruits to them with a weak smile. Each of them took one peach but Harry saw something like uncertainty in Glenn’s eyes as he picked his share. Glenn was looking at them, earning looks in return. He looked around and behind him. Harry saw Lori was watching him, there was warning in her eyes but for once it was sent to Glenn, not him.

“My binoculars,” Shane finally said to the boy.

“What?” Glenn looked confused for a second before he realized what was said. “Oh, yeah, yeah…” He put down the basket and handed the binoculars to Shane. “Okay, bye.”

Harry watched Glenn in confusion and after a look at Shane and the nod he got in return, he went after the boy.

“Glenn,” Harry called. “Is something the matter?”

Glenn was surprised and then looked conflicted. “Nothing, there’s nothing…”

“If you’re sure…”

“Yeah, yeah…I’m sure…” Glenn nodded frantically. “I just…I’m gonna do another run to town with Maggie. That’s all…”

“Oh…” Harry slowly smirked. “You know…I’ve been watching the way you two interacted, not all the time, mind you, but…is there anything going on between you two? Maybe on the last supply run…?”

Glenn blushed furiously. “No! No…it’s….it was…”

Harry chuckled whole-heartedly at his reaction.

“Oh shut up! How about you and Shane? Don’t think we forgot about the kiss you two had yesterday. I mean, he went berserk when we thought you were dead. Also, you guys are sharing a tent.”

This time, it was Harry’s turn to blush. “Ah, well…why does everyone keep asking me that? Do you think…it’s going to be a problem?”

“Nah…I think it won’t even cross everyone’s minds as anything but amusement. We’re too busy thinking about your magic and immortality. I bet everyone is still in a daze from that. They won’t be able to think properly for a while. I’m surprise no one has melted their brain yet.”

“I don’t know which one is worse,” Harry muttered, “Well, I suddenly remember I have something to do. See ya.”

Glenn laughed as Harry practically turned tail and ran. Harry went to pull out the items he had asked Glenn to get the other day. There were still some things he needed. He went to Andrea first.

“Hey, Andrea…”

“Yes, Harry?”

“Can I ask for a strand of your hair?”

“What for?” Andrea frowned in confusion.

“I’m planning to make protection charms for everyone, but I need a strand of hair for each of your charm so…”

“Protection charm? What can it do?” she asked curiously.

“It can…err…I’m not good with it actually so it won’t be as strong as a standard protection charm, but it can at least fend off a few attacks before it runs out of juice…hopefully?” Harry replied sheepishly.

Andrea nodded. “That could be really helpful,” then she pulled out a blond strand from her hair and handed it to him. “Here. You sure it’s enough?”

“Yes. I only need one strand. Thank you.”

Then Harry took a seat at the picnic table and began to work. First he chose the colors he wanted to use for the ribbons and then cut them to certain length and slipped Andrea’s hair between them before making some sort of complicated braid with them. While he twisted and knotted the ribbons, he slipped in a root or a leaf every now and then while chanting protection words in Latin under his breath, feeling the magic flowing from his hands into the knots. He ended the knots by tying them with a root and turning it into a lock of some kind.

“Andrea! It’s finished!”

“That was quick,” Andrea said as she approached him at the table.

“Here, give me your wrist,” Harry said. He tied the bracelet around her wrist and she shivered when he finished tying it. “You feel that?” She nodded. “Good, that means the protection is activated and the charm’s working. Don’t worry about it falling off or something. Once it’s activated, the bracelet will stay on until the protection runs out.”

“Hmm…not bad…its got an ethnic look to it,” Andrea examined it with a smile. “Thank you, Harry.”

Harry grinned. Then he saw the commotion at the campfire. Lori looked angry. Rick looked conflicted. Dale looked guilty. Shane was talking about something. Carl looked hopeful. What was going on?

“What’s the matter?” Harry asked as he approached them together with Andrea.

“None of your business,” Lori snapped.

“Carl found a gun,” Shane answered.

“How did he find a gun?”Andrea asked incredulously.

“I let him into the RV. He said he wanted a walkie, that his parents sent him for one…” Dale looked guilty.

“So he lied?” Harry looked at Carl. “Please tell me that at least you didn’t shove it behind your pants like in the movies. You could blow your ass off.”

Carl blushed and ducked his head shyly. Shane snorted.

“He shoved it to the side of his jeans. Right side.”

Harry’s eyes twitched. “You do remember I told you to take it easy, right? And instead, you shoved a gun in your recently injured side? What were you thinking?”

Carl’s head lowered some more to everyone but Lori’s amusement.

“He wants to learn how to shoot. He asked me to teach him,” Shane informed them and looked at both Rick and Lori. “Rick already gave me his consent but Lori doesn’t want him to learn.”

“Why?” Harry asked.

“Why? You might have been fighting and killing magical terrorists since you were a kid but my son is not a freak like you! He’s just an innocent child. I don’t want my son walking around with a gun!” Lori hissed.

“Hey, that’s uncalled for,” Shane frowned.

“You can’t let him go around without protection,” Rick said.

“He’s as safe as he’ll ever be right here,” Lori argued. “Look, everything you’re saying makes perfect sense. It feels wrong. I mean, I didn’t feel good about him following you out into the woods. And I wish I’d said something. I should’ve gone with my gut.”

“He’s growing up, thank God. We’ve got to start treating him more like an adult,” Rick said again.

“Then he needs to act like one. He’s not mature enough to handle a gun,” Lori said stubbornly.

“I’m not gonna play with it, Mom. It’s not a toy. I’m sorry I disappointed you but I want to look for Sophia and I want to defend our camp. I can’t do that without a gun,” Carl pleaded.

“Shane is the best instructor I know. I’ve seen him teach kids younger than Carl,” Rick assured her.

Lori looked at everyone. She was really against this but she was outnumbered. She sighed unhappily and looked at Carl. “You will take this seriously and you will behave responsibly,” she said sternly to the boy, holding his chin to look him in the eyes. “And if I hear from anyone in this camp that you’re not living up to our expectations…”

“He won’t let you down,” Rick said confidently.

“Yeah,” Carl nodded.

Lori nodded reluctantly and let him go.

“Now that that’s solved…” Harry said slowly, “Anyone want to give a strand of their hair?”

“What for?” Rick asked.

“Harry’s making us protection charms that can fend off a few attacks before it runs out of juice,” Andrea replied, showing off her new bracelet. “He needs our hair for each charm. I already got mine.”

Shane caressed his head sheepishly. Harry and Andrea laughed at his reaction. Rick and Dale chuckled.

“That’s so cool!” Carl exclaimed.

“It wouldn’t hurt to have additional protection,” Rick nodded in agreement.

“Thanks. But no, thanks,” Lori said. “Come on, Carl. We’re going to gun training, right?”

“But, Mom~ It’s a magical bracelet!” Carl complained as he was led away.

“I already permitted you to have gun training. I’m not going to deal with a magical bracelet who does God knows what, all right?”

Rick sent an apologetic look in Harry’s direction. The wizard just smiled understandingly.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much hair left…” Dale said as he took off his hat, caressing his balding head. “And I don’t think Carol and T-Dog could help you there.”

Harry face-palmed in remembrance. He forgot about the haircuts of other members of the group. Rick handed him his hair strand. It was long enough for him to work with, barely. Harry looked exasperatedly at Shane who shrugged apologetically.

“I’m going to find something else for you and the others,” Harry sighed.

“Sorry for being trouble,” Shane grinned.

Harry waved off his concern and went back to his picnic table before starting to work. He just finished another when Carol approached him.

“Hey, Harry…can I ask you something?” Carol asked.

“Yes?”

“It’s about the chores you finished with magic. Can you not do it next time? No offense, but...I don’t have anything to do to occupy my mind right now. I can’t help but keep worrying about Sophia,” Carol sighed.

“Oh…” Harry bit his lips. “Of course. I understand. Uh…Shane and Rick are going to train the others with guns. Maybe you should join them. It would be good for you if you could protect yourself in case we get mobbed by walkers in the future…”

Carol thought about it and nodded. “I think you’re right. I’ll go talk to them. Thank you, Harry,” she smiled.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Half an hour later, Harry managed to collect all the hair strands he needed. Rick even managed to get Carl’s hair behind Lori’s back. Shane and Rick had already gone to gun training, bringing all of their new students with them. Harry didn’t join them, seeing as they already knew his secret so they knew he didn’t need a gun to protect himself. Not to mention he couldn’t die. Other than him, the ones who were left on the camp were Glenn, Dale and Lori.

There was something going on between Glenn and Lori and then Glenn and Maggie. And he wasn’t talking about an affair. Glenn looked really nervous and jumpy. There were secrets that the boy couldn’t protect for long. Harry remembered the time when he was suspicious of all secrets around him. But nowadays, he didn’t care much for secrets. Curiosity killed the cat. In Harry’s case, curiosity killed the people around him.

He was working on the last bracelet when he felt something waver. He realized it was the wards. It almost reached its limit. Harry was going to have to recharge it in a few hours. Until then, he had a few readings to do. Harry went back to his tent and pulled out his trunk. After enlarging the trunk, he jumped into the third compartment where his libraries of various subjects, except medical ones, were stored. Yeah, he had three libraries in his trunk, one for general knowledge both on muggle and magical, one for magical healing and one for muggle healing. He had become a little bit of a bookworm in the last decade. Hermione would’ve been proud. He didn’t worry about unexpected visitors trying to get into his trunk or accidentally falling inside, there were wards to protect it and alert him. It was part of the fixture when he bought it.

He spent almost two hours in there before climbing back out. By that time, the others were already coming back from their training, except for Andrea and Shane. Apparently, Andrea was quite talented with guns so Shane was giving her an extra advanced lesson. Oh, well. Harry handed the bracelets to everyone. For Dale, Carol and T-Dog’s bracelets, he asked for a drop of blood to add to the charms. He decided to let Rick handle Carl’s bracelet. He didn’t want to take the risk of getting bitten by Lori, walkers pun intended.

Thankfully, Lori was busy avoiding Dale cooking meat when Rick handed Carl his charm and tied it just the way Harry instructed him too, around his ankle where Lori couldn’t find it easily. He didn’t think that Dale’s cooked meat was that bad, though, but the woman looked nauseous. The old man watched her with concern before approaching her. There was some serious talk because Lori looked like she was going to cry. When she caught him watching, though, her glare alone could kill an army of walkers. Harry immediately turned the other way.

It was time to recharge the ward.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Dale observed Lori’s reaction when he handed the cooked meat to Carol. She looked nauseous. Ever since Glenn’s revelation about the barn and her pregnancy this morning, God bless the poor boy, he really couldn’t lies or keep secrets for long. Dale knew he had to do something. Secrets like these could be dangerous, especially with walkers so close to the place they were staying.

His talk with Hershel didn’t go well. The man was stubborn. He kept insisting the walkers were people because they were his wife, his stepson, his neighbors, his friends…people he knew. And really, Dale couldn’t blame him for feeling like that but…Hershel turning a blind eye could be dangerous for everyone, including his own family he was desperate to protect.

Now, there was Lori. Glenn had told him about her reluctance to tell Rick. He had a feeling he knew why. He approached her where she was sitting, far away from the smell of the meat.

“My wife was pregnant once,” he said out of the blue. “She miscarried and we didn’t try again after that.”

“I’m so sorry,” Lori said sincerely, but she also looked confused and nervous.

“The thing that I remember most is how nauseated she became at the smell of cooking meat. And she was a meat-eating gal, my wife, but with the pregnancy, that Thanksgiving, the turkey…She couldn’t be in the house for two days until it was aired out, poor thing,” he told her.

Lori exhaled in annoyance. “Glenn told you?”

“What did you expect? The boy has no guile,” Dale shrugged.

“I haven’t told Rick…I can’t…” she looked like she wanted to cry.

“Because of Shane?” he asked.

Lori’s head whipped around to him so fast Dale feared she was going to hurt herself. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. There was fear in her eyes, though, before she looked away guiltily.

“Was it that obvious?”

“No, no, I don’t think anyone knew,” Dale assured her. “I didn’t, not for sure.”

“Look, I thought my husband was dead,” she tried to explain. “And I felt like I died with him. And I wanted to feel something, anything… And now I hate myself for it.”

“And the baby?”

“It’s Rick’s. None of the rest matters,” she said, but there was something in the way she said it. She was trying to convince herself it was the truth, probably scared that if she thought otherwise, it would destroy her marriage.

“Then what’s your concern?”

“Memories are what keep me going now. Memories of what life used to be. And I’ve got a deep well to draw on. I still remember joy. But I think Carl’s well is already running dry. And this baby won’t have any good memories at all, only fear and pain,” she sniffed deeply.

“You can’t think like that…we can still find joy and we can still take strength from each other,” Dale said encouragingly.

“Do you really think this baby has a chance, that it could grow up and live a happy life?” she asked with a forced smile, “Look me in the eye and tell me that my baby will grow up to be your age and die happy. Tell me. Tell me you believe that.”

Dale couldn’t say that to her. Not when he himself had difficulty believing it. He knew she was right.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry hummed. He closed his eyes and reached out to the ward with his magic. He let it latch onto it and then started chanting. He could feel the ward draw out the power to strengthen itself from his magic. When he finished, Harry dropped to his knees. Thankfully, everyone was too busy with their own things to notice him.

He looked up when he heard some noises. Glenn and Maggie had gone on another supply run and just came back. The girl seemed furious. She charged towards Lori and started throwing things at her while ranting non-stop. Harry wanted to cheer for her but he was too damn tired. Then it was over and Maggie stomped off with Glenn hot on her heels. Lori was left alone with a stunned expression on her face.

“Are you all right, Harry?” Harry turned to the side to see Dale looking down at him in concern. “I saw you suddenly fell on your knees while standing there.”

“I’m fine, Dale. I’m just a little tired.”

“Here, let’s go sit by the RV,” Dale offered to help him up.

Harry didn’t refuse.

“So, what were you doing there that made you tired?” Dale asked as they took a seat.

“I…yesterday before the whole…magic thing came out, I raised a ward around the house and the camp to protect us.”

“A ward?”

“Yes. It would stop anything that means harm from entering and if something entered then the ward would alert me. I don’t know how effective it is against walkers but at least the ward would tell me if something enters the ward.”

“That’s…a really handy trick,” Dale said in amazement.

“Yes. Anyway, this ward is the simplest and easiest kind to create but it’s also small and not that powerful. It needs to be recharged at least every twenty-four hours. That’s what I did just now. It drew the power to strengthen itself from my magic so it kinda drained me a little.”

“I see…” Dale nodded understandingly. “Thank you, Harry. You’ve been doing so much for all of us.”

Harry ducked his head shyly. “Not really…everyone did more. I…I failed you guys a couple of times…I mean…I should have created a ward back at the camp in Atlanta, but I forgot…I never needed it before and there’s also Sophia…I’ve been selfish trying to keep my magic a secret when I can help and now she’s…”

“Yes, it might be like that. But after your explanation, I think I can understand why you did it… Besides, you don’t have to worry about not being able to do more from now on,” Dale said.

“I guess you’re right…”

They sat in silence, just enjoying the sun and the landscape. The farm was really beautiful.

“Harry, can I ask you something?”

Harry hummed.

“What happened between you and Shane? I mean, I know there’s something going on between you two for awhile now but what started it?” Dale asked carefully.

Harry blushed. “Oh well…I just…I don’t really know. I found him attractive since day one, to be honest. But I didn’t think anything would come out of it. I think the turning point was what happened at the CDC…”

“What happened?”

“I…I don’t know if it’s my place to say…”

“Is it about what happened between Lori and Shane when they thought Rick was dead?” Dale asked again tentatively.

“Your eyes really don’t miss anything, huh?” Harry smirked. “Yes, it’s about that. Lori was angry because she thought Shane lied to her about Rick. The thing is, Shane really thought Rick was dead. Didn’t want to leave him when the hospital was overrun and then the power was out and he checked for a heartbeat and everything. He found nothing.”

“So he really thought he was dead…” Dale hummed thoughtfully.

“Yes. Then he got Lori and Carl to safety and everything else was history.”

“But…are you sure what you have between you and Shane is genuine? I mean…Shane…he’s…”

“You saw him in the woods aiming a gun at Rick, right? I saw the way you looked at him when you guys came back and he told me.”

Dale looked at him in surprise. “He told you? So you know what kind of a man he is. Why do you still want to be with him?”

“Because, Dale…just because your eyes don’t miss anything, doesn’t mean you know everything,” Harry said. “You saw something and you judged him for it. It would be like…you saw someone cursing and kicking a vending machine for giving them the wrong drink and you thought ‘what an angry person they are’. While in reality, they almost got into an accident an hour before and that made them late to work and they were fired for it. In that case, don’t you think they’re justified to be angry?”

Dale was silent.

“Think of it from Shane’s point of view. He lost his best friend. Lori lost her husband. The best friend and the husband was the same man. They were the only one each other knew in a new harsh world. So they felt connected. And they didn’t do anything wrong by entering a relationship. It’s not cheating if the husband’s dead, right? They gained a reason to keep going in this chaos. Then all of a sudden, the best friend and husband came back. Lori thought Shane lied. She became angry with him for make her cheat on her husband. She treated him like shit for it, disgusted glares and snide comments in every corner at every chance behind everyone’s backs.

Shane lost someone he was in love with. That someone was his best friend’s wife so what could he do about it? Then the way he was treated by Lori…who wouldn’t become jealous and angry? And yet…he couldn’t do it. It doesn’t matter how jealous and angry he was, he couldn’t pull the trigger. It would be easy, you know, to destroy their marriage. Especially, since I heard it was already fragile with all the fights before the apocalypse came. Apparently, Lori had been trying to find every reason to fight with Rick. Shane could’ve just told Rick about what happened. Twist the words to his advantage. But he didn’t. Because at the end of the day, Rick is still his best friend and brother and he couldn’t do that to him… What you saw in the woods was a moment of weakness. Are you really going to judge him for being human, Dale?”

The older man lowered his head. “I…am ashamed to admit that…I never thought of it like that…”

Harry smiled. “You have a habit to dislike anyone you find lacking. Once you dislike them, nothing they do would be right to you. It’s all right, I guess. You’re just a human, like Shane,” Harry hummed. “I’m disappointed though, with how easy you forget what he did for everyone in the group before Rick came. He led you all, he made the hard decisions and bore the blame for every mistake, he protected you all…just like Rick does now. Right?”

Dale flushed with shame. “I guess…you’re right. You’re really one hell of a wise man even though you’re so young, Harry. Shane is lucky to have someone like you when someone like me judges him.”

“Nah…I just have experience with this kind of thing. My own best friend turned his back on me a couple times before because of jealousy, but he always came back for me. He even saved my life. That’s why I understand this,” Harry shrugged with a grin. “If you give me another problem I’ve never encountered before, I would be lost.”

Dale smiled, “We’re all human, after all.”

“True.”

When Shane and Andrea came back later, Harry greeted them with a happy grin. Andrea looked so satisfied with herself while Shane strode to him purposefully.

“How’s the extra training?” Dale asked Andrea.

“It’s good. We went into town to look around for Sophia but the place is overrun with walkers,” Andrea told him.

“You sound like you’re happy because of it,” Dale looked amused and confused at the same time.

“She got firsthand experience in shooting walkers,” Shane said as he swept Harry into his arms, earning a surprised squeak from the smaller man.

“And how good was she?” Harry asked wrapping his arms around the man’s neck.

“Excellent. She passed the exam,” Shane said.

“Yeah. Even though he stepped back behind me once I started shooting,” Andrea smirked at him.

“Hey, I still didn’t know how good you were in real circumstances. Better be safe than sorry, you know, after yesterday…”

Andrea rolled her eyes. Dale and Harry chuckled at them.

“And what about you?” Harry asked Shane, their lips barely brushing against each other.

Shane grinned like a predator. There was even a glint in his eyes before he stole a breathtaking kiss from him. Harry gasped in surprise at how open he was in front of their friends. Their tongues met and battled against each other. Shane won and Harry just enjoyed himself while the winner explored the prize. Andrea laughed at them.

“He’s high on adrenaline. It was a close call. And now he’s horny,” Andrea called out as Shane picked Harry up and carried him a way. Harry blushed furiously and started protesting but it was not use. He resigned himself to being carried away and being the laughing stock for Andrea and Dale.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Lori sat inside her tent. She could guess what had happened in the town after Maggie chewing her out earlier and now she was feeling guilty.

“The blood on Maggie’s shirt…”

“She was attacked,” Glenn told her.

“Are you guys all right? How bad was it?”

“It was pretty close.”

“I’m so sorry. I should never have asked you to go,” Lori said guiltily.

“I offered,” Glenn shrugged.

“I thought the town was safe, but if you hadn’t come back…”

“But we did. I always do,” Glenn assured her. His glanced at the table, where the abortion pills Maggie spat about earlier were placed. “The morning-after pills, will they even work?”

“I don’t know…”

“And I don’t know if I want them to…”

“Then I got these, too, just in case,” Glenn said, placing a plastic bottle of pills inside in front of her.

She choked on a laugh as she read the instruction. “Pre-natal vitamins…that’s a hell of a choice…”

“I’m glad it’s not mine,” Glenn nodded. “Lori, we’re friends, aren’t we?”

“With everything we’ve been through, yeah,” she nodded.

“I can’t tell you what to do. I could never tell you something like that. But your choice, maybe you shouldn’t make it alone,” he said.

Lori sat in silence alone again after he left, thinking about what he was saying but looking at the prospect of the future right now, it was scary. She gasped as what she was about to do began to sink in. She moved quickly, popping out capsule after capsule and before she could lose her nerves, she swallowed them all up with a bottle of water.

She sobbed as she felt them moving down her throat. Suddenly, she felt like choking. She ran out of the tent, ran until she stumbled to her knees and threw up. She threw them all up. She couldn’t do it…but what should she do now? If Rick found out…if Shane found out…

Her eyes hardened. No, Shane didn’t have anything to do with any of this. This was her baby. Rick’s baby. Shane had no business in this, not anymore, especially after he chose to…

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Is there something you need to tell me?”

Lori looked up when she heard Rick’s voice. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting there. She got up and, from the look on his face, she knew that he knew.

“We can’t leave. I’m pregnant,” she said.

“Are you?” he asked, showing the morning-after pills’ wrapper.

“I threw them up.”

Rick looked away, taking a deep breath.

“You can yell if you want. You can scream if you have to, but talk to me,” she pleaded.

“How long have you known?”

“Does it matter?”

“Days? Weeks? And you didn’t tell me?”

“I’m telling you now.”

“No, I found these,” Rick waved the wrapper again. “So Glenn knows, right? Instead of coming to me, you sent him to get pills?”

“I panicked. Hershel wants us to leave. You tell me we have no roof and no walls…” she sobbed.

“Do not put this on me! You tear into me for keeping secrets when you’re holding onto this?” he threw the wrapper in anger.

“You want me to bring a baby into this? To live a short, cruel life?”

“How can you think like that?!”

“We can’t protect the son we already have!”

“So this is the solution?”

“Rick, I threw them up! I screwed up. I don’t know how we can do this…” she sobbed.

“We can make it work,” he said, exhaling.

“How? Tell me how!”

“We’ll figure it out. Shouldn’t we try to figure it out? You threw up the pills. You want this baby. I know you do,” he said.

“Not like this. Not giving birth in a ditch,” she shook her head. “Not when its life will hang by a thread from the second it’s born. Not when every cry will put it, and Carl, and everyone we care about, in danger. That’s not right.”

“Not giving it a chance isn’t right either,” he argued.

“Maybe this is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

“I still don’t understand why. You really think I’d make you have a baby you don’t want?”

“No. No, so that if I went through with it, it would be on my conscience and not yours,” she said.

“Maybe that’s true, but…” he sighed tiredly, “I can’t live like this any more, Lori. We can’t live like this. Is there anything else I should know about?”

Lori looked at him, feeling scared but…he was already so angry about this and if he found out she was still hiding another secret…

“Shane and I…”

Rick looked at her, there was realization in his eyes and she feared the worst. He looked away, gripping tightly at the fence in front of him.

“I know. Of course I know,” he said slowly. “You thought I was dead. The world went to shit and you thought I was dead, right?”

She choked back her tears and nodded frantically, grateful at the understanding he showed.

“Yeah,” she said tightly.

He nodded.

And they stood in silence.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry grunted softly as he hit the mattress. He turned around only to find himself being pinned down by Shane. He looked up and shivered at the heated look the man gave him. Harry could feel his heart beating hard in his chest. He waved a hand and the tent zipped itself closed magically and wouldn’t reopen until Harry canceled the spell. Another wave and a silencing spell fell upon the tent.

The wizard gulped in anticipation.

“You can say no,” Shane said in a husky voice.

“I don’t plan to…” Harry whispered softly.

Then they were kissing again, fiercely, hungrily and full of passion. Harry didn’t bother to fight for dominance this time. He always lost anyway. So he enjoyed the kiss, letting Shane map out every corner of his mouth and producing a series of groans, moans, and whimpers that made the older man even more aggressive.

Harry whined when his shirt was torn open roughly, the buttons went flying and his neck was attacked without mercy. His own hands were working on pulling Shane’s shirt off, revealing the well defined muscles underneath that made Harry’s breath catch in his throat. Shane smirked at the flushed face and the glazed look in the wizard’s eyes. Then he lowered his hips between the smaller man’s legs and started rocking them together. Harry gasped at the friction. His grip on Shane’s arms was strong, his nails clawed into the muscle and his knuckles turned white from the tight grip.

“Shane…” Harry gave a long moan as his eyes rolled back into his head.

The man on top was biting and licking at the pale, slender neck while rocking their hips back and forth together. His hands moved down the sides of Harry’s body to the back of his jeans. He grabbed a hold of the rough material and pulled it down, forcing Harry’s hips to lifted upward, and passed down on his thighs. He looked a little disappointed that Harry wasn’t going commando this time. Since his magic was revealed, Harry didn’t have to hide the fact that he had a full wardrobe in his trunk. Granted, nobody knew about his trunk yet, except Shane.

Then he looked up at Harry to find his cheeks burning in embarrassment but desire was glowing in his eyes. So he grinned and pulled the jeans off before doing the same with his underwear. Soon, Harry found himself naked under his lover’s heated gaze. He turned away, feeling insecure. Sure, his body was toned nicely with a seeker’s build, but it was nothing compared to Shane’s manly build and big muscles.

Shane ran his hand down Harry’s sides to his legs, caressing the quivering thighs. He took in the sight of the younger man’s arousal, the nice pink shade of his cock to the thin pubic hair that covered his balls. He ran a finger up and down the hardened member. Harry whimpered in response, trying to close his thighs but Shane didn’t let him.

“You’re beautiful, Harry…” Shane murmured softly.

Harry could feel his face burning hotter. It was still bright in the tent but it wouldn’t be long before dark because the sunset was already approaching. Harry couldn’t wait for the darkness to hide his feeling of embarrassment. Never before had he been stared at like the way Shane was staring at him. He hoped he wouldn’t regret this in the future.

“You’re still wearing your pants,” Harry looked at him accusingly.

“So?” Shane smirked.

Harry narrowed his eyes but gasped as Shane moved his hip again. He glared and with a wave of his hand Shane was as naked as him. Harry regretted that immediately as he could feel their heated skin touching and rubbing against each other, enhancing every sensation he felt before. It was really intense but the man didn’t falter at all at the use of magic.

“Hum…that’s handy…”

Shane started kissing down his neck to his chest, passing a nipple and taking it into his mouth, sucking. His hand was twisting and playing with the other nipple. Harry gasped. He unknowingly pushed his chest up toward the ministrations, hands grabbing at the head and shoulder of the man on top of him. His legs moved to wrap around the other man’s waist. Shane released his nipple soon and moved his kisses down to his slightly toned abs. Harry could feel his body singing with pleasure as each touch burned into his skin. He sobbed slightly when Shane kissed down past his hips to his thighs, purposely avoiding the place Harry wanted him to touch the most.

“Shane, please…”

The man hummed, “I like that sound. Beg some more, Harry…”

“Ugh…you bloody wanker!”

“That doesn’t sounds like begging.”

“Please, Shane…I…please touch me…”

“And how do you want me to do that?”

Shane grinned up at him from between his legs. His hot breath brushed against his hardened shaft. Harry glared at him, but there was also pleading in his eyes. He bit his lips and sighed with frustration. It was a battle of wills he wasn’t going to win.

“I want you to…suck me,” Harry’s blush was phenomenal by now. “Please suck me off? I’m begging you…”

Harry keened loudly as he was suddenly engulfed in a tight, wet heat. He sobbed as wave after wave of pleasure swept through his body without mercy. His hands fisted the blanket underneath them as tightly as they could. He lifted his hips desperately, pushing himself deeper into his lover’s mouth and talented tongue. Just before he could reach his climax, though, Shane pulled away. Harry whined in protest.

“I never took you for a screamer. I’m surprised no one disturbed us yet,” Shane grinned with self-satisfaction. The air around him just screamed smugness.

“Silencing charm,” Harry glared. “Now get back to work!”

“Oh, you’re supposed to be begging, not demanding,” Shane smirked again.

Shane lifted himself until he was once again on top of Harry. The younger man whined softly at the heat from the skin contact, their hard members rubbing against each other. Shane kissed him slowly but passionately with Harry’s arms wound around his neck. The next moment, Harry gasped into the kiss as he felt a finger prodding at his entrance. It was slick with something. Harry pulled away and looked at the lotion bottle in the older man’s hand.

“Where did you get that?” Harry gasped as a finger breached him slowly.

“You’re not the only one that Glenn asked to get something for,” Shane smirked.

“Optimist, are you?” Harry threw his head back on the pillow, moving his hips in time with the thrusting finger.

“Of course,” Shane murmured against his neck as his fingers worked on loosening Harry, making him relaxed and adjusted enough at the intrusion, preparing him for something bigger.

Harry mewled as the third finger slipped inside him. He could feel them moving around, scissoring, crooking and searching until they finally found the thing they were looking for. Harry almost screamed from the sensation that assaulted him as his sweet spot was being pressed again and again.

“Please, Shane! Please…I can’t take it anymore…” he practically sobbed with pleasure.

Then the fingers were gone. Before he could find it in himself to protest, though, he felt something larger and hotter pressed against his entrance. Those emerald green eyes snapped open as he felt his lover push inside him. His eyes locked with Shane’s as he moved deeper. Their fingers were tangled with each other in tight grip. Their breaths were ragged and sounded harsh in the air. There was a burning pain because Shane was definitely much, much bigger than just three fingers, but it was no worse than anything he had felt before at the war and his previous deaths.

Harry could feel his sight getting blurry with each second passing and he realized he had tears in his eyes. Shane leant down and kissed his tears away. The smaller man sobbed softly as his older lover began moving, slowly at first but gaining speed with each thrust. He felt overwhelmed. Never before had he felt closer to another human being than now.  
He wrapped his legs around the slim but strong waist. The wizard moaned and whimpered and shouted at each assault his prostate received. The sounds of flesh slapping against flesh only increased their arousal further. Their moves turned frantic. He could feel every movement inside him, in and out, over and over again. Harry tried to move his hand down to his own cock, desperate for release, but Shane didn’t let him. He sent him a pleading look but the man shook his head, denying him his wish. Harry sobbed. He was so close he was almost in pain.

“Shane, please…!”

“No…I want you like this…to come like this…” Shane panted as he thrust into the tight velvet heat that surrounded him. He was also really close but he held himself back. He wouldn’t come until Harry did.

Harry threw his head back onto the pillow, his body arched as he moved his hips in time with Shane’s thrusts. His cock was trapped between their bodies. A few more thrusts against his abused hole later, and Harry screamed his release so loud it almost shattered the silencing charm. His sight was blinded with bright light behind his eyelids. His body arched to an almost unnatural bow as he thrust his hips down one last time and held on tightly with his legs, jets and jets of cum spurting out of his cock, coating their abs thickly with the white essence. Shane growled loudly as he felt the heat around him clamp down and wrench his release out of him mercilessly. He let himself go and came into the tight channel. Harry was sobbing anew when he felt the hot liquid coating the inside of his body in several long spurts. Shane kept thrusting lightly until he had nothing else to give his lover.

When they finally calmed down minutes later, Shane pulled out carefully, earning a soft hiss from Harry. The smaller man blushed heavily as he felt some of Shane’s cum leak out of him, but grimaced at the mess on their bodies. With a wave of his hand, the mess was cleaned up, though not the one inside him. He loved the feeling he got from having something of Shane in him. Shane collapsed beside him, pulling Harry into his strong arms. Harry turned around and rested his head on the broad shoulder, his hand tracing an invisible pattern on the man’s chest. He sighed contentedly. They just lied there, basking in the afterglow in peace.

“So…” Shane broke the silence after awhile, “How was it?”

Harry burst into giggles. “You often ask your lovers how you were in bed?”

“No. That would be stupid. But this is your first time, so…”

“You’re great,” Harry said, blushing. He refused to look up as he answered. “You made me feel fortunate to wait until now to do it…”

The arms around him tightened. Harry could feel the man’s silly grin on his forehead. “That’s good. Hopefully, you won’t feel like being with anyone else after this.”

“Shut up,” Harry slapped him lightly on the chest. “Of course I won’t. I mean…I’m with you… right?”

Shane looked down to see Harry looking at him with uncertainty in his beautiful green eyes, but there was also something else in them. Something that made him feel possessive. Harry wouldn’t be with anyone else if he had any say about it.

“Of course,” Shane said firmly. “Like I’m going to have it any other way.”

Harry beamed with happiness and snuggled closer to him. It was dark outside. Everyone else would have had dinner already before retreating to their tents. He wondered what would they think when they couldn’t find him and Shane or call them out from their tent. He blushed again. Well, Andrea and Dale must have given them some explanation, though he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not.

“What are you thinking about?” Shane asked.

“Umm…what embarrassing explanation Andrea and Dale will give the others if they look for us…”

Shane chuckled. “Oh I can imagine it now. T-Dog won’t stop teasing you tomorrow.”

“He’s a pervert,” Harry pouted, then groaned. “I don’t wanna go out tomorrow. I can’t imagine the embarrassment…And Andrea’s gonna join him…”

That earned him a laugh. “Well, I can’t do anything about that, it would be up to you no matter how unproductive that is. But I can get your mind off of it for now…”

“How?”

Shane’s grin was truly feral.

**~ To be continued ~**


	15. Chapter 14

The next morning Harry woke up, he was alone. Again. He felt the twinge of disappointment in his heart as he looked at the empty spot beside him. He touched it and smiled a little when he found it was still warm. He tried to sit up but regretted it immediately when he felt the throbbing pain on his lower back. He blushed as he remembered what happened last night. They had done it a few more times after the first one. It didn’t cross his mind before but now it wasn’t only the other group members he had to face, how could he face Shane later?

He doubted he could keep a straight face. He had to muster all his effort to do that before when they just got each other off. Now, that they really had sex? Harry groaned into his pillow. He didn’t want to get up. Still, he had to face the music. He wondered how Shane got out, though. The locking spell must fell sometime in the night. Ugh…he must have been too distracted to maintain it. His blush turned brighter as another horrifying thought came to mind. Did the silencing charm fall too?!

Pause.

It did! Harry realized with horror after he checked. When did they fall? Oh Merlin, don’t tell him it was in the middle of them having sex! That would be too… Suddenly, he didn’t feel like facing the music.

Still, ten minutes later, he was out of the tent. Everyone was there. Carol was cooking breakfast. He jumped in surprise when Shane came up to his side.

“Hey,” Shane said softly.

“Morning,” Harry said shyly.

“Have some breakfast, Harry,” Carol said. “You and Shane didn’t have dinner last night, right?”

The blush turned deeper. T-Dog was snickering into his plate. Andrea was trying to stifle her trademark half-smile half-smirk and failing miserably. Daryl just smirked behind his mug. Dale and Rick looked amused while Lori was giving him a dirty look before looking away. Carl was oblivious while Glenn didn’t pay much attention to everyone. Something was on his mind.

“I didn’t hear anything from your tent last night,” Andrea said innocently. Yeah, right. But that mean, the charm fell after the sex. Thank Merlin! “Did something happen?”

“Silencing charm,” Harry replied without realizing and then promptly slapped a hand across his mouth. His face was burning. Why did he say that? And just when he thought there was one less thing to be embarrassed about.

T-Dog howled with laughter at his slip. Daryl snickered. Andrea was giggling madly. Even Carol was biting her lips trying not to laugh. Dale and Rick also laughed at his expense. Shane chuckled but stopped when Harry hit him with his elbow.

“Oh~ Silencing charm! Whatever made you need that?” Andrea said with a mischievous smile.

“Must be a screamer,” T-Dog was giggling madly.

“Oh, he’s a screamer, all right. My ears almost fell off,” Shane smirked, earning another burst of laughter from everyone.

Harry gaped at them. He was pretty sure his face was permanently red by now. “I can’t believe this…”

“Can we please stop talking about this? It’s disgusting. People are trying to eat. And there are children here,” Lori snapped angrily.

“One child. And it’s not like we said anything graphic,” T-Dog snorted.

“Yeah, no need to be nasty about it,” Andrea sneered.

“She’s right, Lori,” Rick reproved.

“Still, she has a point. Let’s have some breakfast, shall we?” Harry grinned widely, desperate for a new topic.

Everyone else relaxed. Andrea, T-Dog and Daryl were still smirking at him, especially when they saw the limp in his steps. Shane sat beside him so the wizard used him as a shield from everyone. The rest just went on with their breakfast while sending disapproving looks at Lori at least once. Lori turned an ugly shade of red at being looked at like she was the bad guy.

Glenn stared at the ground, thinking. He looked over the field to the house. Maggie was standing there with her arms crossed and a warning glare. He looked at his friends. Dale caught his eyes and nodded in approval. Glenn exhaled as he made his decision. He got up.

“Umm…guys…” he began nervously, but only Harry, Rick and Dale were paying attention. “So…the barn is full of walkers.”

As soon as he blurted that out, everyone stopped moving. Their eyes zoomed in on him.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane peeked through the gap between the wooden doors. He could see the silhouettes of walkers shuffling and snarling inside. Suddenly, one charged at the door out of nowhere. Shane jumped back in surprise.

“You cannot tell me you’re all right with this,” Shane walked back to the group. They all were standing in front of the barn.

“No, I’m not, but we’re guests here. This isn’t our land,” Rick tried to reason.

“This is our life, man!” Shane argued.

“Lower your voice,” Dale said as the walkers inside got more aggressive knowing they were near.

“We can’t just sweep this under the rug,” Andrea said.

“It ain’t right. Not remotely,” T-Dog added.

“We’ve either got to go in there, we’ve got to make things right, or we’ve just got to go. Now we’ve been talking about Fort Benning for a long time.”

“We can’t go!” Rick said forcefully.

“Why, Rick? Why?”

“Because my daughter is still out there,” Carol said.

“Okay,” Shane almost laughed. He took a deep breath. “Okay, I think it’s time that we all start to just consider the other possibility.”

“Shane, we’re not leaving Sophia behind,” Rick insisted.

“I’m close to finding this girl. I just found her damn doll two days ago.”

“You found her doll, Daryl. That’s what you did. You found a doll,” Shane reminded him like it was supposed to clear something up.

“Shane…” Harry touched his arm.

“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Daryl said angrily.

“I’m just saying what needs to be said. You get a good lead, it’s in the first forty-eight hours…”

“Shane, stop!”

“Let me tell you something else, man. If she was alive out there and saw you coming, all messed up with your buck knife, and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction,” Shane said mockingly.

Harry blinked. “Geek ears?”

“He was wearing a necklace made out of them when he came back. Rick hid it before Hershel could see,” Shane told him.

Daryl snapped. He shouted and started charging towards Shane. Rick tried to stop him but Shane already accepted the challenge. There were shouting, shoving and pushing. Harry looked exasperatedly at the chaos. He took a deep breath.

“Shut up! SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!!”

Everyone froze.

“We need to calm down, all right? We need to think about this with clear head. Can y’all do that?” Harry asked.

“Okay,” Rick nodded. “Now just let me talk to Hershel. Let me figure it out.”

“What are you gonna figure out?” Harry asked.

“If we’re gonna stay, if we’re gonna clear this barn, I have to talk him into it. This is his land,” Rick explained.

“Hershel sees those things in there as people,” Dale spoke up suddenly, “Sick people…his wife, his stepson.”

“You knew?” Rick asked in surprise.

“Yesterday, I talked to Hershel,” Dale replied.

“And you waited the night?” Shane asked incredulously.

“I thought we could survive one more night. We did,” Dale said. “I was waiting till this morning to say something. But Glenn wanted to be the one.”

“The man is crazy, Rick,” Shane exhaled. “If Hershel thinks those things are alive or no…!”

Whatever they wanted to say was interrupted as the growling and snarling got louder. The walkers got more and more aggressive. Everybody watched with fear in his or her hearts as the door of the barn bounced wildly with only a padlock and chain holding it closed; even the bar across it looked like it was ready to break.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane walked around the barn, examining every crook and corner to make sure nothing was going to give away soon and let the walkers out. He pulled at the lock. The chain was strong enough but he was not sure with the padlock and the door itself since they looked really old. The hinges could break if they were not careful. Suddenly, the walkers charged at the door, sensing his presence. He jumped back in surprise; his hands automatically went to his side only to find he was weaponless. He sighed and then cursed at his own reaction. He turned around to find Harry leaning on a tractor nearby.

“What are you so afraid of, Shane?” Harry asked as the man approached him.

“Nothing,” Shane replied. “What are you doing here?”

Harry shrugged. “I’ve got nothing to do and you are here.”

“Come here,” Shane pulled him closer.

“Tell me, Shane,” Harry said softly.

Shane looked at him in the eyes. Those beautiful, beautiful eyes. He leant down and kissed him. Harry sighed into the kiss.

“If you don’t wanna talk, then fine,” Harry said as he pulled away, “But if you change your mind, I’ll be with Hershel.”

“Hershel?” Shane frowned.

“I wanna see if I can help Rick talking some sense into him. You know…maybe I can convince him…that walkers are not people,” Harry mused.

“How?”

“By letting him met his wife and stepson,” Harry smiled wryly. “Their spirits…their ghosts…”

“You can do that?” Shane looked at him, wide eyed.

“One of the perks being Master of Death is communicating with dead people, calling their souls back from the afterlife,” Harry shrugged, “Only for a short time, though. We don’t have the right to disturb their rest.”

Shane was speechless. “….Okay, then! You…do that. Whoa…!”

Harry chuckled and kissed him softly. “See you later.”

“Later…”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane was watching the barn from his spot on the tractor. He hadn’t move since Harry left. His mind was whirling with information. He didn’t get the chance to process anything yet since The Revelation. He snorted.

Harry was a wizard. More than that, he was an immortal wizard.

He never thought that things like that existed. Wizards, witches, magic…dragons! He was a maniac about everything dragons when he was a kid. He shouldn’t be surprised, though. It was the end of the world. Hell, he was having a relationship with said wizard. All kind of things could happen these days.

Still, something the man said kind of hit him hard. When they heard he was an immortal, they were in awe and kind of jealous. Harry didn’t have to be scared of dying. It explained so much of his carelessness of his own wellbeing. But then again, not everyone was an immortal. So, what would happen when they died? Harry was going to be left alone. One day, Shane was going to die and leave Harry alone. And he didn’t want that to happen.

He didn’t know why. This wasn’t like him. He only knew the man for a short time. Not even two weeks and already he was attached. Usually, he never welcomed a stranger this easily. But, Harry was different. He snorted again. Understatement of the century.

He saw Rick from the corner of his eyes, walking towards him.

“What’s it gonna be, man? Which way does this thing go?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Well, what did he say?”

“We’re negotiating.”

“You’re…” Shane sighed. “Clock’s ticking, Rick.”

“No, it isn’t, Shane. That barn is secure. We didn’t even know about it till this morning.”

“We didn’t. Well, we know about it now. Right? We know there are over a dozen walkers in there. We know that it’s about a stone’s throw from our camp, Rick. Where we sleep, so look, if we’re not gonna go in there and clear it out, then we just got to go,” Shane tried to reason.

“We’re not gonna clear it out and we’re not gonna go,” Rick insisted.

“We at least need our guns.”

“We can’t have them, not here,” Rick argued.

“Why do you want to say here when it’s not safe?” Shane asked exasperatedly, almost at the end of his patience now.

“We can make it safe.”

“How we gonna do that?”

“We will, okay?!” Rick snapped.

“No, man, it’s not okay, Rick!” Shane snapped back.

“Shane, Lori is pregnant!”

That stunned him. Suddenly, fear darkened his heart as anger left him.

“We need to stay,” Rick insisted.

“We need our guns…”

“No, I can work this out,” Rick assured him, walking away, but it sounded more like he was assuring himself. Shane was silent. “You good?”

“Yeah…” Shane said, smiling weakly. “Lori’s having a baby, man. Congratulations.”

Rick nodded. “Thank you.”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry took a deep breath and stepped inside the house. He saw Rick leave earlier. Angrily. It seemed the talk with Hershel didn’t go as smoothly as he wanted. The wizard sighed and stepped inside. He saw Hershel and Maggie talking.

“Carl doesn’t need any more of my help. He never did. They have their own doctor, one that can do magic, of all things,” Hershel said to her.

“So that’s it?” Maggie asked.

“Rick was trying to make his case. It’ll be hard. They’ll have to be careful. But he was being dramatic. They’re a strong group. They’ve done well on their own. They’re just going to have to go out and find their own farm. There’s plenty of them now to choose from,” Hershel tried to explain.

So the old man wanted to them to leave.

“There aren’t. Every one of them nearby is burned out or full of walkers,” Maggie said, surprising her father.

“Walkers?” She didn’t answer, just kept peeling the onion. Hershel took a deep breath. “So, we just keep these people here forever? How are they my responsibility?”

“A new command I give to you, ‘Love one another. As I have loved you…’ That’s what you told me, right?”

Hershel returned the silence.

“I was mad about Mom. Mad about you marrying Annette. I was fourteen years old and I was awful, to you more than anybody. All I wanted to do was smoke and shoplift. ‘Love one another.’ That’s what you told me.”

“Maggie…That was different.”

“No. You’re different,” she accused.

“I am. But we are not,” Hershel replied. “I love you. That’s part of this.”

More silence.

“Is this about you and the Asian boy? Do you want me to…?”

“No,” Maggie looked like she was going to cry but then she exhaled, calming herself. “His name is Glenn. He saved my life yesterday when one of the people you think is sick tried to kill me,” Maggie looked up into her father’s surprised face. “How’s that for dramatic?”

So that was why Maggie was angry when they came back, and she blamed Lori because she was the one who asked them to do the supply run.

“Things aren’t what you think they are. They aren’t,” Maggie said again. “Don’t do this. Okay? It’s not about Glenn and me. It’s not about you and me. It’s about you. It’s about who you are, and who you’re gonna be.”

Well said, Maggie. Well said.

Then suddenly someone shoved the door open and, unfortunately, Harry was pushed forward because he didn’t move from the door since he entered the house. He stumbled and nearly fell onto the floor. He turned around to find a flushed looking Jimmy.

“Sorry,” he said before running to the kitchen. “Hershel! It happened again and he needs help.”

Harry frowned. “What is it? Is there anything I can do?”

Hershel’s head snapped to look at him. He frowned a little. “Nothing. We can handle this.”

With that, Hershel and Jimmy left the house. Harry watched as Hershel went to approach Rick. He looked at Maggie questioningly. The girl just turned back to her chore, looking guilty.

“Maggie…what’s happening?”

“Nothing, Harry…just go.”

Harry stepped closer and touched her hand, stopping her from her work. “Maggie…do you want to see your mom?”

“What…?” Maggie looked confused. Her eyes were still red from the emotional conversation earlier.

“I can help you to meet her, if you want…”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane found Lori sitting not far away from the camp, under the shade of a tree. She was cutting some carrots for their next meal. He walked over to her and squatted in front of her. She didn’t look up at all.

“Rick told me,” Shane said.

“Told you what?”

“I want to know the reason why you didn’t tell me. Is it because you think it’s mine?” Shane said again.

“It’s Rick’s,” Lori insisted. Like husband, like wife. She was trying to make herself believe it.

“Okay,” Shane nodded. “You know, we carried on quite a bit before Rick got back, Lori. It’s mine, isn’t it?”

“You’re wrong. You’re wrong!” Lori snapped. “I’m sorry. Shane, I’m sorry… But even if it’s yours, it’s not going to be yours. It’s never gonna be yours and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”

“Damn it, Lori! If it’s mine, I have the right to be part of his…or her life!” Shane snapped.

“No, you don’t! I won’t let you anywhere near my baby when you can’t protect us!” Lori shot back.

“What do you mean…?”

“Harry! You’re with him, Shane! I won’t let you anywhere near my baby because that means he will be near my baby too! You don’t know what he could do, Shane. Don’t you realize it? You’ve changed since you met him!”

“What…”

“Don’t tell me it’s never crossed your mind how different you are with him!” Lori cut him off. “You’ve changed, Shane. You don’t act like yourself. You’re not even suspicious of him. You just accept him so easily even after we found out he’s not a normal human! Didn’t you listen to his story? They have spells for mind-control and persuasion! How do you know he didn’t do any of them on you?”

“He didn’t!”

“How can you be sure? How can you be so sure, Shane? He could have done it easily! There’s no government to catch him anymore if he does anything illegal. And how can we know any of his life stories are true? We only have his words for it and I, for one, don’t trust anyone that can make someone loyal like you to turn his back on his loved ones so easily!” Lori breathed heavily but she wasn’t finished.

“You said you love me, you love Carl and you love Rick…but as soon as the situation turns on Harry, you side with him so easily. You don’t even care if you have to turn your back on us to protect him. You’re not that kind of man, Shane! He did something to you and you don’t even want to acknowledge it! How can I let you be part of this baby’s life, if it’s even yours, when you don’t even try to protect yourself? No…as long as you’re with him, you won’t have anything to do with my baby even if he or she turns out to be yours…I won’t let you. You have to choose which one is more important to you.”

“Lori…that’s not fair…”

“Just…think for a moment, Shane…You think you love him. His people could have love potions for all we know. You’re not who you were before. This new you…the one that accepts weird and questionable things so easily, so trusting…you don’t make me feel safe anymore. If I can’t even trust you with my own safety, how can I trust you with my baby? Just…take your time and think about it…is this really you? Or…is this something Harry turned you into for whatever selfish reason he has?”

Shane didn’t know what to say. Of course, he felt like he wasn’t himself when he near Harry. The man was just so…amazing to him and…but on the other hand, what Lori said did make sense. How could he know? He only had time to think about everything just a little while ago and even then he didn’t even think to consider the idea that Harry could have done something to him. If Harry did something to him, then no wonder Lori wouldn’t let him near his baby…if it was his baby. But he would have known…wouldn’t he?

Lori looked at him in challenge. She didn’t regret anything she had said. She truly believed in them. Shane didn’t know how to respond. He walked away, shocked and dazed. He didn’t hear when Carl first called him as he passed him at the camp. But he heard when he called him the second time.

“Hey, Shane,” Carl said as he got up from his resting place. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

Shane stopped and turned to the boy. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Carl nodded. “I know you think Sophia’s dead and that we should stop looking for her. But that’s bullshit.”

“Hey, man, watch your mouth,” Shane frowned.

“We’re gonna stay here until we find her,” Carl insisted, ignoring his words. The boy was glaring at him. He looked so much like Rick when he did that. The way he looked and his stubbornness, especially with that sheriff hat he was wearing.

Shane thought about all the time he had spent with the boy before. They spent so much bonding time but…he didn’t know when…but they had stopped doing that for some time now. And it wasn’t like Carl avoided him like his mom. Hell, he looked up to Shane and sought his approval. But Shane rebuffed him, enough times to make Lori angry. He loved the boy. He was his best friend’s son. His godson. He really loved him. Since when did that change? It didn’t. But then…how…oh my God… Was what Lori said true?

Was her hostility towards Harry was not mere jealousy or bigotry but because she truly saw something in him that others didn’t? But how come? Harry was so…genuine…Then again…he let Amy and Jim die because he didn’t want to do magic. He hid his magic from them at the cost of their own members when he could have saved them. He could have saved Sophia. What really happened in the woods when they found him? He could just go and find Sophia with Rick. He could insist but he didn’t…Sophia didn’t die until past midnight…Harry said so himself. If only he did more…

Shane shook his head furiously. He looked at Carl. “You think that’s what we should do?” he asked the boy.

“It’s what I know we should do,” Carl answered firmly.

“Then we stay. That means we got to do whatever we got to do to make that happen, hmm?”

“Like helping out with chores?” Carl asked.

“Hmm,” Shane smiled. “Like helping out with the chores.”

“Hey, Carl. Come here for a minute,” Lori called.

Carl and Shane turned towards Lori.

“Why don’t you go and see what your mom wants, huh? Go on,” Shane told him. Carl nodded. “Hey Carl,” he called before the boy could go far. “Don’t let me hear you talk like that again.”

The boy nodded with a smile, happy that his opinion was heard.

Lori sent a distrustful look at him before looking away and at her son. Shane felt something ache in his chest. Did he really change that much? There was a time when Lori didn’t mind Carl talking with him and spending time with him. Then again, he really wasn’t the type to accept strangers easily. He was always suspicious of people, especially since the world ended. That was why he became a police officer in the first place.

So why did he trust Harry so much? Why did he accept him so easily? It was the look in Harry’s eyes. It made Shane felt something, so intense and so…

Shane clenched his eyes shut. When he opened them again, there was determination in his eyes. He walked with purpose and a growl in his throat.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Maggie was crying in Harry’s arms. She hugged him tightly in thanks. Just moments ago, Harry had helped her meeting her mom, her step-mom and her step-brother. And even though she couldn’t hold them or hug them, she was so happy to hear their voices again, to be able to talk to them again. There was tearful reunion and conversation. She finally got the closure she had sought for a long time.

“Thank you, Harry…” Maggie said after she calmed down. “Thank you so much…now I don’t have to wonder anymore if my family has really turned into evil walkers…”

Harry smiled. “You’re welcome, Maggie… I know it’s hard but…at least you really know now that they’re at peace…and maybe you can help talking to your dad? About the barn and us staying?”

Maggie nodded.

“Uh…am I interrupting something?”

They turned around to find Glenn watching them with a jealous frown. Harry and Maggie exchanged mischievous smirks.

“Well…what do you think?” Maggie asked. “You find us in this position. Of course you’re interrupting something.”

“But I thought…”

“Aren’t you supposed to be on the lookout?” Harry asked.

“It’s Dale’s turn…Can you please stop hugging each other? I thought you’re with Shane!” Glenn snapped, confused and jealous.

Harry and Maggie burst into giggles. Glenn looked even more confused.

“Relax, Glenn. We didn’t do anything,” Harry said, still giggling.

Glenn relaxed. “Oh…good…I…uh…then you guys…uh…I’m lost. Again.”

Maggie smiled. “What do you need, Glenn?”

“Uh…” Glenn looked nervous again. “I just wanna say that…I know you’re angry with me, Maggie, for blurting out your father’s secret.”

“My dad’s gonna kick you guys out now. He told me,” Maggie said seriously.

“No, Rick’s going to work something out with your dad,” Glenn said. “Okay? I had to tell them.”

“You did not.”

“Uh…I guess I better leave for this conversation,” Harry excused himself but they didn’t hear him.

“No, I did. Okay? I wanted to…”

Harry closed the front door behind him. Whatever they were talking about, Harry had a feeling it would end up in a make out session so he better leave before it happens. Carl, Patricia and Beth were on the porch, playing chess. He sat on the railing, watching them.

“You wanna play, Harry?” Carl asked.

“No,” Harry shook his head. “I’m not good with chess. My best friend was a master, though. He beat everyone in our House and the other Houses at school. People quickly learnt to not play him again after a couple of times.”

“Wizards play chess too?” Beth asked.

“Yeah. Wizarding chess is the same as yours. The rules and the chess set. The difference is we don’t have to move our set, we tell the pieces where to move and they will move on their own. Some even shout suggestions for strategies or protest when they’re about to be beat by their opponent.”

“They talk?” Carl asked with wide round eyes.

“And move?” Beth added.

“That’s…weird,” Patricia said.

“Yeah. Imagine my surprise when I played it the first time. It was distracting too when they pleaded not to be sacrificed.”

They laughed at the image. Little Harry looked confused and troubled when he had to make a move but his chess pieces didn’t want to die and protested rather loudly.

“Wait, can they die? The chess pieces?” Carl asked.

“No. They were just…knocked unconscious after they were beaten and moved out of the board. That way, they can’t make suggestions anymore. It’s considered cheating after all if non-players tell the players where to move next.”

“I guess it is,” Patricia nodded.

“It sounds really cool,” Carl said in awe.

Harry chuckled.

Then Glenn and Maggie came out with smiles on their faces. Harry smirked and they blushed. They went to sit on the porch, talking quietly. Harry went back to watching the game. Not long after, he saw Andrea and T-Dog from the corner of his eye.

“Do you know what’s going on?” T-Dog asked.

“Where’s everyone?” Andrea asked.

“What happened?” Harry asked confused.

“We were asked to gather here,” T-Dog said.

“By who?”

“You haven’t seen Rick?” Glenn asked.

“He went off with Hershel,” Andrea replied. “We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago.”

“Yeah, you were,” Daryl said, coming from the other side with Carol. “What the hell?”

“Rick told us he was going out,” Carol said.

“Damn it. Isn’t anybody taking this seriously? We got us a damn trail!” Daryl barked in irritation. He paused when he saw something from the camp. “Ah, here we go.”

It was Shane. He was carrying a bag of guns. Their guns. Dale was hot on his heels, trying to talk to him urgently but Shane was ignoring him.

“What’s all this?” Daryl asked him.

“You with me, man?” Shane asked, handing him a gun. Daryl took it, looking happy.

“Shane?” Harry was confused.

“Yeah, time to grow up. You already got yours?” Shane asked the others.

“Yeah,” Andrea replied. She also looked as confused as Harry.

“I still think this is a bad idea,” Dale said.

“What’s going on?” Harry asked again.

“I thought we couldn’t carry?” T-Dog asked as he received his gun.

“We can and we have to,” Shane said. “Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. But now we know it ain’t.”

“Shane, what are you planning?”

“Back off, Harry. I do what I have to do to keep us all safe,” Shane walked past him and handed Glenn a gun. “How about you, man? You gonna protect yours?”

Glenn looked at the weapon in front of him. He looked at Maggie and then he took it with determination.

“That’s it. Can you shoot?”

“Can you stop?” Maggie shot back in annoyance. “You do this, you hand out these guns, and my dad will make you leave tonight.”

“We have to stay, Shane,” Carl reminded him.

“What is this?” Lori asked as she came into view.

“We ain’t going anywhere, okay?” Shane assured them. “Now look, Hershel, he’s just gonna understand, okay? Well, he’s going to have to. Now we need to find Sophia. Am I right?” Shane looked at Carl. The boy nodded. Shane held out a gun to the boy, handle first. “Now I want you to take this. You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how. Go on, take the gun and do it.”

“Rick said no guns. This is not your call. This is not your decision to make,” Lori snapped as she pulled Carl away.

“Shane, calm down for a second, all right?” Harry told him.

“Oh, shit!” T-Dog suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone turned to the direction he was pointing at. At the edge of the woods near the barn, Rick, Hershel, Otis and Jimmy was herding two roaring walkers with snare poles.

“What is that? What is that?” Shane glowered in anger as he ran towards the barn.

“Shane!”

Everybody ran to catch up with him. They saw the way Rick and the others were struggling with the walkers. They couldn’t believe that Rick was helping Hershel with this. Shane circled them, looking at his friend in disbelief.

“What the hell are you doing?” Shane barked angrily.

“Shane, just back off,” Rick ordered.

“Why do your people have guns?” Hershel demanded.

“Are you kidding me? You see?” Shane snapped at them. “You see what they’re holding onto?”

“I see who I’m holding onto,” Hershel glared.

“No, man, you don’t,” Shane sneered.

“Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk,” Rick tried to calm him.

“What do you want to talk about, Rick? These things ain’t sick. They’re not people. They’re dead. Ain’t gonna feel nothing for them ‘cause all they do, they kill! These things right here, they’re the things that killed Amy. They killed Jim. They’re gonna kill all of us.”

“Shane, shut up!” Rick shouted at the same time Harry shouted, “Shane, calm down! What the hell is the matter with you? You were willing to wait earlier!”

Situation was almost getting out of control.

“What is the matter? You wanna know, Harry?” Shane looked at Hershel. “Hey Hershel, man, let me ask you something. Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?”

With that, Shane shot one of the walkers a few times. Hershel, the one who was holding on the walker, looked stunned.

“That’s three rounds in the chest.” Shane gestured to the still snarling and attacking walker. “Could someone who’s alive, could they just take that? Why is it still coming?” He shot the walker again. “That’s its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming?”

“Hey, that’s enough, man!” Otis shouted.

“You’re right. That’s enough,” Shane agreed and he shot the walker one last time. In the head. It fell to the ground with a thump.

Hershel looked like he had slipped into catatonic shock. His eyes never left the fallen body on the ground. The old man dropped to the ground on his knees. Maggie wrapped her arms around him.

“Enough risking our lives for a little girl who’s gone!” Shane barked. Carol looked stricken. “Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us. Enough! Rick, it ain’t like it was before!”

“SHANE!” Harry shouted.

“What, Harry? You know what I’m saying is true! You know she’s gone! You told me yourself the girl was dead days ago!!”

Harry gasped in shock. He looked at Shane, speechless and feeling betrayed. Everyone else was stunned.

“What?” Carol asked surprised.

“She’s dead? Like really dead?” Rick asked.

“I…the spell…it only fails if the person is hiding with magic or dead…” Harry answered guiltily.

“So you lied to us when you said you don’t know why it failed?” Rick asked again. “You knew about this, Shane?”

“And you didn’t think we needed to know?” Lori looked at Harry incredulously. “Daryl hurt himself trying to find her! We risked ourselves looking for her!”

“How could you, Harry? I had the right to know…” Carol asked tearfully.

“I…”

“Now if y’all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I’m talking about fighting right here, right now,” Shane said again.

“Take the snare pole,” Rick told Otis as Shane ran up to the barn to break the locks. “No, Shane! Don’t do this, brother! Please!”

“Don’t do it!” Glenn shouted.

But Rick was too late. Before he could reach Shane, the man already broke the locks open. They quickly ran back as the door started to move.

“Come on. Come on, we’re out here!”

Then the growling got louder and walkers started to come out. Everyone with weapons took their position on the front and started shooting.

“Maggie…” Glenn looked at her.

She was in tears but nodding her approval. Glenn joined the shooting group. The walkers went down one by one, including the one attached to Otis’s snare poles. There were gasps and whimpers as the mother and the brother Maggie mentioned came out and were shot. Then the flow stopped. Everyone was almost relaxed, thinking it was over, when the soft snarls came. A few seconds later, a small figure stepped out with a glare and growl.

Time seemed to slow down for everyone in the group as they stood in shock. The last walker. It was Sophia. Harry looked as surprised as everybody else. They took in Sophia’s condition. There was nothing human in her. Her eyes were pale like the dead, her skin was grey like the dead, and her cheeks and eyes were sunken. There was nothing that resembled that sweet little girl they all known before but they still could tell that it was indeed her body. Carol wailed and tried to approach them but Daryl stopped her.

“Sophia!!”

The women shed tears of grief while the men looked away. Harry stepped forward, closer to the girl.

“Harry!”

“It’s fine…” Harry replied without turning around. “It’s fine…”

Harry opened his arms and pulled Sophia into a hug. The girl ignored him. She didn’t bite him, just kept snarling and growling and trying to reach for the group.

“I’m so sorry…” Harry sniffed. “I’m so sorry I failed you…because I was a coward…”

Harry then called his wand and pointed it to her temple. A bright light shot out and hit her head, leaving a small hole and she dropped in his arms. Everyone stood in silence. Carol and Beth’s sobs can be heard by all of them. Hershel’s eyes were red from the tears he didn’t allow to fall.

“Don’t look,” Daryl told Carol, “Don’t look…”

She pulled away from him and ran off back to the camp, sobbing.

“She…didn’t bite you…she didn’t even try…” Andrea said slowly.

“I think it has something to do with being Master of Death…they ignore me,” Harry allowed an ironic smile showed on his face.

“Ignore you…? You mean if you run around screaming in the middle of sea of walkers, they won’t chase you or try to eat you?” Andrea asked incredulously.

“Yes. They would search for the source of the scream but they would just ignore me, like they couldn’t see me even if I’m right in front of them,” Harry replied. He slowly laid Sophia’s body down.

“That’s…really unfair,” Lori frowned.

“I know,” Harry said. “It’s not like I asked for it…”

Beth came forward. Rick tried to stop her but she avoided him. She ran straight to a pile of bodies and turned the body of a woman.

“Mom…” she sobbed.

Suddenly, the body growled and lunged up to her. Beth screamed in surprise as she was caught. Everyone immediately ran to help her get away, even Hershel that was practically catatonic before. Harry shot the same non-verbal spell he gave Sophia and the body stopped moving. Everybody stopped in surprise.

Beth just sobbed into her father’s arms.

**~ To be continued ~**


	16. Chapter 15

Everyone stood in silence at the mess in front of the barn. Beth was still crying softly. Hershel guided his family walked back to the house. Shane, however, couldn’t let this go. He walked after them with Rick hot on his tail.

“We’ve been out. We’ve been combing these woods looking for her and she was in there all along? You knew,” Shane demanded.

“Leave us alone,” Hershel said.

“Hey, Shane, just stop, man.” Rick told him.

“Get your hands off me!” Shane pulled away. “You knew and you kept it from us.”

“I didn’t know,” Hershel insisted.

“That’s bullshit. I think y’all knew,” Shane accused.

“We didn’t know!” Maggie repeated.

“Why was she there?”

“Your…Otis put those people in the barn,” Hershel said. “Maybe he found her and put her in there before you guys were here.”

They turned to Otis.

“I didn’t know…” Otis said guiltily. “And you never told me her descriptions so…it was the morning before I accidentally shot your boy…”

“Yeah, you’ve been disappearing quite a bit lately. I guess that’s what you do, huh? Collect dead people? You expect me to believe you don’t know? What do I look like? Do I look like an idiot?” Shane sneered.

“Shane, hey, hey, hey,” Rick tried to calm him down.

“I don’t care what you believe!” Hershel snapped.

“Everybody just calm down, please.”

“Get him off my land!”

“No.”

“Let me tell you something…”

“Hey, don’t touch him! Haven’t you done enough?” Maggie pushed Shane away.

Everyone was silent.

“I mean it. Off my land,” Hershel said firmly before he ushered his family inside.

Rick turned to Shane. He looked angry.

“What are you doing?” he asked, “Hey, what are you doing?”

“Daryl almost died looking for her, Rick. Any one of us could have. I’m gonna tell you right now, that son of a bitch, he knew,” Shane said.

“He didn’t know. He’s not like that. He opened his home to us. You’re the one who knew Sophia was dead and didn’t bother to tell us! You and Harry!” Rick snapped.

Shane clammed up before he said stubbornly. “And what would you have done if I had told you that? Would you’ve believed me? I was trying to tell you a million times and you refused to listen, remember?! You wanted her to be alive so bad you didn’t wanna listen to anyone else, including me! Your partner! Your best friend!”

This time, Rick was the one who looked guilty.

“That man put us all in danger. Man, he kept a barn full of walkers,” Shane reminded him.

“So you just start an insurrection, hand out guns and massacre his family?” Rick asked.

“His family’s dead, Rick.”

“Well, he doesn’t believe that. He thinks you just murdered them in cold blood.”

“No, man. I don’t care what he thinks.”

“I was handling it, brother. I was handling it and you just…”

“Don’t tell me I’m the only who knew. Everybody else already suspected! You had us out in those woods looking for a little girl that every single one of us knew was dead! That’s what you did. Rick, you’re just as delusional as that guy,” Shane scoffed. “You handling it, huh?”

Shane sneered when Rick stayed silent and then walked away.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Everyone else was still looking at the mess in front of the barn. They didn’t know whether to burn them or bury them. Andrea looked at Sophia’s body sadly before covering her with a blanket. Lori had been sending him accusing looks as she comforted her crying son away.

The others didn’t know how to look at him. He knew of Sophia’s fate since the beginning and he didn’t bother to tell them. Daryl was even hurt in a search that didn’t need to be done in the first place. Anyone of them could’ve gotten hurt out there looking for a dead girl and Harry didn’t even bother to tell them the truth. They didn’t know whether to be angry with him or something. Lori was the only one who knew how to treat him, with hate and disdain.

“Dale?” she called.

“Yeah?”

“Could you take Carl up to the house?” Lori asked and looked at Carl, “I want you to rest.”

“Okay,” Carl nodded.

Shane and Rick approached them as Carl and Dale walked back to the house.

“Hey, you dropped that,” Rick said and placed his hat on the boy’s head. Carl walked away with a smile.

Harry looked up and looked away when his eyes met Shane’s. He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling something was bothering the man and it had something to do with him. Harry himself was angry with Shane. He betrayed his confidence; just blurting out the truth like that in anger and making it look like Harry was the one at the fault. Sure, he wasn’t innocent on this matter but…he still felt betrayed.

“You want us to start burning?” T-Dog asked.

“We need a service. Carol would want that,” Andrea said.

“Yeah, we all want that,” T-Dog replied.

“I think it would be best if we bury Sophia. Maybe Hershel’s family, too. They would appreciate it,” Lori added.

“Uh…Are you sure it’s wise?” Harry frowned.

“You think you have room to talk after what you hid from us?” Lori sneered at him. “You of all people could’ve done something to save her, you know. After all, you’re the all powerful wizard. Instead, you got Sophia killed and almost got Daryl killed too.”

He flinched. When he didn’t hear Shane comes to his defense like usual, his heart ached. He knew he wasn’t a girl that needed to be coddled. He told Shane so himself. But…this cemented his belief that the man had problems with him and he didn’t understand why because they were fine earlier. What triggered this so suddenly?

The others also didn’t say anything but it was expected. Harry knew they would blame him one way or another. Still, he felt so disappointed.

“Let’s dig a grave for Sophia and Annette and Shawn…uh…over by those trees,” Lori suggested again, pointing at the trees near the barn. “And we’ll need a truck to move the bodies.”

“Otis’ got a truck. I’ll get the keys,” Jimmy said but Shane stopped him.

“I got it,” Shane said and he left. He walked past Harry without even looking at him.

Harry looked hurt and the others didn’t know what to say to comfort him. Lori smirked at him.

“And the others? That’s a lot of digging,” Jimmy asked, breaking the awkward silence.

“We bury the ones we love and burn the rest,” Andrea said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Let’s get to work,” Lori said.

They began to move. Lori walked closer to Rick and whispered, “What did Hershel say?”

“He wants us off the farm, or Shane at least,” Rick answered in whisper too.

“That’s not a surprise. We’re lucky someone wasn’t killed. And all that gunfire, more walkers could’ve heard it.”

Rick sighed.

“Baby, what is it?” Lori asked in concern.

“She was there all the time,” Rick said.

“And you did everything you could,” Lori assured him. “It’s Harry’s fault he didn’t tell us. He let us run around in vain…”

“He didn’t know…”

“How could you know?”

“I saw his face when Sophia walked out of that barn. He was so shocked. He knew that she was dead. But he didn’t know she was there. He wouldn’t let us go into the woods if he knew her body was here, Lori…”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because he’s not like that, Lori. I know.”

Lori sighed. “We don’t know him, Rick. He came to us suddenly and ever since that, the worst things always happened to us.”

“Still, I know he didn’t know about this,” Rick insisted. “I saw his guilt. It’s the same as mine. And I’m the one who was too stubborn. Shane had tried to tell me about this several times but I refused to listen to him. People counted on me and I had them chasing a ghost in a forest.”

Rick pulled away from her touch and walked away, angry at himself. Harry, who had been listening to the conversation, sighed.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane had got the keys to the truck from Otis. It was a rather awkward situation as Shane kept glaring at the man while Otis looked so guilty. Shane was walking towards the truck when he saw Dale looking at him weirdly. He knew the man had problems with him ever since he caught him aiming at Rick with a gun.

He looked at the old man challengingly but he didn’t say anything. Shane scoffed and got into the truck. Still, his heart still full with anger, he couldn’t just let this slip away. He looked at the reflection in the rearview mirror.

“Do you got something to say, Dale?” he asked loudly. “Well, go ahead, man.” Shane got out of the truck again to face Dale. “Mr. Moral Authority, huh? The voice of reason,” his voice was full of sarcasm.

Dale just looked at him with that disapproving frown. He lost his patience and strode towards the man.

“Let me ask you something, man. What do you do? What do you do to keep this camp safe, huh? What do you do? What, you fix up an RV? You babysit some guns? I smashed the barn open. I make sure this place is safe for everyone. That’s me. That ain’t you, that ain’t Rick. That’s me!” Shane glared. “Tell you what, Dale, next time I need a radiator hose, I’ll give you a call, man.”

“It’s not about that,” Dale said when the younger man turned away.

Shane stopped.

“I don’t care about that. While I don’t approve your way handling it, I know you meant well. You did the right thing,” Dale continued. His words surprised Shane. “But what I can’t understand is where all of this anger comes from.”

Shane frowned at him in confusion.

“You see. Until yesterday evening, I thought the worse of you. I saw you aiming that gun at a good man, your own best friend, just because he came back and took back his own wife. I really thought the worse of you. I didn’t trust you. I didn’t like you. I never tried to see it from your point of view. I’m ashamed of it,” Dale admitted.

“But Harry helped me with that. He helped me to see the reasons you did all of that and now I see why you couldn’t pull the trigger at the time. Not because I found you, you didn’t even know I was there, but because you’re not that kind of man… And ever since you got with Harry, you’ve changed. You’re not angry anymore. You became the man you were before the stress became too much. And I can see that that man is a good man. You’re a good man, Shane.”

Shane was shocked to hear that. It wasn’t what he expected from Dale. The man had been rather cold towards him all this time after all.

“That’s why I…I don’t understand…why are you suddenly angry again? And taking it out on Harry? Don’t think I don’t notice that. Whatever you have a problem with, don’t take it out on him, Shane. He’s a good man. He loves you…”

You don’t know anything,” Shane interrupted him harshly. “All of this…I didn’t have time to think about it before but I love Lori…and just as easy as turning a switch, I suddenly changed my mind and became infatuated with him. I’m not the type that can change my heart so easily, Dale. He’s a freaking immortal wizard! How do we know that he didn’t do anything to me at all with his freaky magic? Hell, as far as magic goes, he could use a love potion or something on me!”

“You sound like you’re quoting someone else’s words,” Dale frowned. “You didn’t see how he was when he came to your defense yesterday. He put me in my place as easily as turning his palm. If he really loves you…why does it matter what he is? So he changed you. That’s good. You’re a better man now, less angry and more at peace. At least, you were until this morning.

Just so you know…love is a very powerful thing. It can change someone as suddenly as you claimed you’ve changed. I don’t know who told all this shit about Harry doing something nefarious to you but…don’t let this person…their hatred and baseless suspicions…don’t let them tear you apart from him, Shane. They aren’t worth it.”

Shane glared at him before turning on his heels, back to the truck. He got inside and slammed the door closed with as much force as he could before driving away.

“My baby’s worth it,” he muttered to himself.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry watched from the barn as everyone was busy digging. Shane, Andrea, T-Dog, and Jimmy were working non-stop while Lori was supervising them and helping with little things now and then. Harry wanted to help but…he got a vibe that they didn’t want him near.

He watched as Shane climbed out of the hole he was digging with Andrea. The man had been avoiding him since earlier incident. He didn’t know why or what he did wrong. It was just so…out of nowhere.

And to think that everything was so wonderful last night and would always be after that…

Harry snorted. Since when did good things last long for him? He was Harry Bloody Potter! Fate hated his guts. Of course whatever happiness he could find wouldn’t last long.

He saw Shane turn to the side and catch Lori’s eyes. The woman looked at him awkwardly but there was also a little bit of happiness in her eyes before she looked away. So whatever happened had something to do with the woman. Maybe after last night, Shane found out that he liked doing it more when it was with a woman after all. Maybe he regretted it.

Harry could feel his eyes burn and his sight blurred with tears. He sniffled lightly and turned away, walking back to the camp. Merlin, he was such a girl!

“That’s it,” T-Dog said, panting heavily from the labor work.

Lori went to tell the others, especially Carol. Andrea looked at the holes pensively.

“You think what Lori said is true?” T-Dog asked.

“What?” Andrea looked up.

“What Lori said…you think it’s true? That Harry could do something more to help Sophia?”

Everyone turned to Shane.

“I don’t know…” Shane sighed. “He probably really couldn’t do anything to help.”

“But he’s a wizard!” Jimmy said. “Hershel hesitated a bit with this magic power but he was planning to talk to Harry about a cure, that maybe he could do or find something to cure the…dead people.”

“Well, he did say that if we know what he’s capable of, there are many things we can blame on him… And he did heal my arm in just a few seconds when we finally knew about his magic,” T-Dog said, frowning in remembrance. “He could have healed Amy or Jim easily…”

Andrea looked stricken.

“Oh…I’m sorry…forget I said that,” T-Dog said hurriedly.

“No…no…you’re right. He could have healed them…but why didn’t he?” Andrea asked in devastation. “He has all of that power to help people and he didn’t do it…you said he said it himself…why?”

“Well he did say he didn’t want to find out if his people are…”

“But at the expense of someone else’s life?! My sister? Jim? Sophia?!” Andrea started to look angry. “What good is he for if he couldn’t…doesn’t want to do anything to help?!”

“Because he’s selfish, that’s why.” They turned around to find Lori approaching them. “You can’t say you didn’t notice how bad things kept happening to us ever since he joined us. Our camp was safe until he came. We were ambushed the same day he joined us. Then one by one, we…and he knew something was off with Jenner and yet he didn’t tell us anything, right? He probably didn’t care because he couldn’t die.”

“Lori…”

“What, Shane? You know I’m right. There’s a reason why God said witches and magic are evil. He probably doesn’t care about us. Or…are you going to defend him again?” Lori narrowed her eyes.

Shane looked away.

“That son of a bitch!” Andrea pulled at her protection bracelet until it broke and chucked it away.

T-Dog looked at his own bracelet and felt conflicted. On one hand, he was feeling just as betrayed as her but he also wasn’t willing to throw away something that probably could keep him alive in a moment of anger. Shane looked at the remains of the protection charm. He frowned. Harry never gave him his. But then he shook his head furiously. It was probably better he didn’t. Who knows what kind of spell he put on the thing.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

An hour later, everyone was found at the gravesite under the tree. They had buried Sophia and two members of Hershel’s family. Everybody had solemn look on their face. Some coated with grief like Beth and Maggie. Hershel looked stoic. Carol had stopped crying since before the service started, but she looked like she wanted to start again.

Harry stood under a nearby tree. He didn’t know how welcome he was. None of his group members looked at his direction. When everyone was gone, Harry approached the graves to give his respect. He kneeled in front of Sophia’s grave.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you…” Harry said softly. “Everyone is right…I’m the one at fault…I shouldn’t have told you to run on your own…I should have come with Rick after I showed him the spell…he already knew by that time anyway…I could have called your soul to find you sooner…I should have…”

Harry trailed off and broke down crying.

“I’m so sorry, Sophia…” he turned to the side where the little girl’s spirit stood. She was smiling sadly at him. “I hope you’re happy now…at this point, it’s better on the other side after all…”

She nodded.

“Do you want to see your mom?”

She nodded again, “One last time…”

“One last time…”

Suddenly, a hand settled on his shoulder. Harry was startled and Sophia faded away. He turned around to see Dale looking at him worriedly.

“Dale…”

“It’s not your fault, Harry…” Dale said.

“But if only I had given more effort…I could’ve done something…everyone thinks so too…I’m selfish…”

“Every one of us could’ve done more, Harry,” Dale said. “All of us could’ve chased after you and her instead of just letting Rick do it alone. We have weapons to protect ourselves when we go into the woods, after all… Every one of us…could’ve done more and went out in the night to look for her instead leaving her alone in the woods for a night where anything could’ve happened. But what’s done is done. It’s not your fault…You have to believe that.”

Harry choked and nodded.

“I need to find Carol…”

“I think I saw her go into the woods.”

“Thanks,” Harry wiped his eyes.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry found Carol sitting alone on the ground, surrounded by tall grasses. There were flower remains around her, victims of her grief obviously. He approached slowly.

“Carol…”

“What do you want?”

“I…”

“Why didn’t you tell me, Harry?” Carol turned to look at him. Her eyes were red from crying.

“I…I didn’t know how…I just…every time I looked at you and I just…the words just couldn’t come out…”

“And Shane?”

“He was…helping me… We thought that you guys wouldn’t believe me anyway, without her body as proof…You guys didn’t know about me yet at the time…”

“And keeping your secret was more important than finding my daughter…” she turned away.

Harry flinched.

“Did you know she was in there?”

“No! I would have told everyone if I knew…” he trailed off as she snorted, clearly not believing him.

“Why are you here, Harry?”

“I…Sophia said she wants to see you…one last time…”

Carol’s head snapped up at him. Her eyes narrowed in anger. “What do you mean? My daughter is dead!”

Harry looked to his side and saw Sophia smiling sadly at him. He offered his hand. The girl took it. Carol watched in confusion as Harry held an empty air. But then, suddenly, a hand appeared in his and it spread out to an arm and shoulder until, she choked in surprise, the familiar figure of her daughter stood beside him. She was a little more transparent but she looked more human than the walker that walked out of the barn with her body.

“Sophia…?” Carol asked brokenly. “Sophia, is that you?”

“Mommy…” Sophia smiled.

Carol staggered to get up. “Sophia…” she approached with her hands out.

“Carol, she’s not…”

But it was too late, Carol’s hands went through the girl and she quickly pulled back, shivering at the cold sensation. She looked stricken and then grief and anger clouded her eyes.

“Is this one of your magic tricks? How dare you…”

“No, Carol…I would never…”

“No, Mommy…” Sophia interrupted. “I’m here. I just want to say goodbye and Harry helps me to do that. You see, he can call a soul back if we’re still there…I came to him…”

“Honey…” Carol’s expression softened.

“I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you too, Honey…” Carol sobbed lightly.

“Goodbye, Mommy…”

“No, Honey…”

“I can’t stay…He said I can’t, but I’ll always see you…Goodbye, Mommy…”

Carol nodded tearfully. “Goodbye, Honey…” she forced a smile on her face. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be a better mom…”

“You’re wrong, Mommy. You’re the best mom ever!”

And then she disappeared.

Harry, who had looked away in the middle of the conversation, looked at Carol sadly. She sniffled a little.

“She said He doesn’t allow her to stay…”

“She probably meant Death…I’ve never met Death myself, but that’s the only one I can think of…or God, if you want. Staying here would only make her miserable because only those with unfinished business can stay, actually they can’t move on at all until their problem is solved or they accept their death. This world is not her place anymore. She wouldn’t be able to get peace here…”

“I see,” Carol took a deep breath. “Well, it was nice to be able to say goodbye…but it doesn’t mean I forgive you.”

“I know,” Harry lowered his eyes. So she blamed him after all.

Carol got up and walked past him. Harry sighed. He was alone once again.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane sighed as he washed up a little at the pump near the barn. He and T-Dog had been moving walkers’ bodies around for hours. He pumped the water pump until the bucket was full. He was in the middle of washing his face when he heard something snap in the woods. He looked up and frowned.

He kept his guard up with his gun in his hands. He watched the rustling and then Carol walked out of the woods. He relaxed a little, slipping the gun back to its place but then he caught sight of the look on her face. She looked dazed, walking around but her mind wasn’t really there. She didn’t really notice him being there.

“Hey, Carol?” Shane called her, looking concerned. “Carol? Hey, hey, hey…”

Shane caught her as she stumbled a little.

“Hey, are you all right? Come here,” Shane guided her to the pump.

She sat on the stone and Shane helped her to wash her arms and face. He was relieved to see she didn’t have any kind of wounds or bites. He looked at her face as he worked. She looked really lost.

“I want you to know that I’m real sorry for your girl,” Shane said softly.

“Thank you,” she finally responded.

“When I opened that barn…I had no idea. If I did…” he sighed. “Everybody thinks that I’m a…I was just trying to keep everybody safe. I had no idea she was in there.”

“But you knew she was dead…” Carol said not accusingly.

“Yeah. I knew…”

“He told you…why didn’t you tell me?”

“I…he looked really lost…he really regretted what happened…you didn’t see his grief when he told me. The reason he stayed out all night and day in the woods was because he couldn’t face you…”

“Still…I had the right to know…my daughter’s more important than his secret!”

“I know…but I promised…Rick and I, we promised we wouldn’t tell anyone anything in exchange for him saving Carl…”

She snorted bitterly. “Figures…And here I was thinking he was a good man. What would he do if you two didn’t make that promise? Would he refuse to help Carl? So selfish…”

_“No, I don’t trust him. Not if I don’t know what he’s going to do to my son.”_

It was something all mothers would say, would do.

_“Well, bitch. Then let us wait until your boy dies,” Harry shot back coldly._

“Yeah…I didn’t realize it at the time…but I guess he is…” Shane muttered softly.

“Why are you with him if you know he’s like that?”

“I don’t know…”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Dale and Lori stepped out of the house. The old man sighed as he thought about the situation with Beth in shock and Hershel going missing.

“This place is going to hell,” Dale said.

“Yeah, I’m trying hard to prevent that,” Lori sighed.

“You won’t be able to,” Dale shook his head.

“No, there are people in this group who think that what Shane did was justified,” Lori said. “I know you two can’t stand each other but he did something that needed to be done.”

“I know,” Dale frowned. “I don’t approve the way he did it, but I understand…it’s just…he’s angry…”

“What do you mean?” Lori asked.

“I don’t know…I thought the worst of him before but then I was told something that got me thinking and now I understand…And ever since Harry came to the group, he’s been getting better, less angry and calmer and then suddenly…” Dale exhaled heavily.

Lori frowned. “Shane’s always been aggressive. He’s that kind of man…”

“No no no…he’s been saying some things about Harry…things that would never cross his mind before…”

“Like what?” Lori asked curiously.

“It’s like he’s quoting someone…it sounds like…” Dale looked at her in realization. “He sounds like you…he’s been angry at Harry so suddenly, practically out of nowhere, and all of his words sound like everything you had said about Harry ever since we found out about him being a wizard… Lori, what have you done?”

Lori looked offended. She glared at him. “I didn’t do anything! If Shane finally uses his brain instead of his dick to think then I say it’s good for him.”

Dale frowned deeply. “I recently realized that you’re a bigot, Lori. You shouldn’t be trying to manipulate people to follow your views. You’ll tear the group apart. Why? Why are you doing this?”

“I’m just doing what is right. That man is a danger to all of us.”

“No, I don’t believe that’s the reason. I thought you were a good person, Lori. Seriously, why? Because Shane doesn’t pay attention to you anymore? You already have Rick for goodness sake! You two are going to have…” Dale trailed off. “Shane knows about the baby, doesn’t he? Does he think it’s his? Did you tell him that? Make an ultimatum about the baby and Harry? What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Lori looked furious. She opened her mouth to say something but fell silent when she saw someone approaching. It was Harry. Dale turned around when he saw her distracted.

“Hey, Harry,” Dale smiled a little, trying to act normal.

“Dale…what’s up?” Harry asked.

“Uh…it’s Beth…she went into some kind of catatonic shock after the earlier incident. Hershel’s missing and Rick and Glenn went looking for him. We were looking for you to take a look at Beth,” Dale informed him, half lying.

“Okay,” Harry nodded. “She’s in the house, right?”

“Yeah, with her family and Andrea,” Dale nodded.

“Okay,” Harry nodded again.

They watched as Harry disappeared into the house. Lori glared at Dale one last time before stomping off. Dale shook his head exasperatedly. He had a bad feeling about this.

When Harry arrived at the bedroom upstairs, Maggie and Patricia immediately pulled away from Beth to give him room to work. Andrea, however, stormed out as soon as she saw him. Everyone else watched as he checked on her vitals.

“Is there something you can do?” Maggie asked.

Harry shook his head. “Her heart’s racing. She’s burning up. All I can do right now is give her something for her fever and force her to sleep. It would be dreamless, she won’t have nightmares but maybe with sleep she can rest and deal with the situation better and come out of her shock.”

“That’s it?”

“If I was a mind healer, I could go inside her head and pull her out of the shock but…I’m not trained in the mind arts and I don’t wanna try anything because it could destroy her mind if done by someone without training and experience.”

“I guess it’s the best option for us, then,” Patricia sighed.

“Do it,” Maggie nodded.

Then to everyone’s surprise, Harry pulled off his necklace and enlarged it on the floor. They watched curiously as he opened the trunk. There were many compartments in there. Harry pulled out the fifth one and, much to everyone’s shock, jumped and disappeared inside it. His head popped up a second later; it was a bizarre sight.

“No one follow me, all right?” Harry warned them and went back inside.

“That’s…”

“Bizarre…”

“Yeah…”

Harry came out a couple of minutes later with two vials of something in his hand. He uncorked the vials and poured the content into Beth’s mouth and made her swallow it. They watched with bated breaths as she blinked slowly a couple of times before falling asleep and relaxing. Maggie sighed in relief.

“What are those?” she asked.

“It’s Fever Reducer and Dreamless Sleep. They’re potions, muggle grade,” Harry answered.

“Muggle grade?”

“It means it was made specifically for non-magical folks. Our usual standard potions are too strong and dangerous for non-magical folks because you don’t have magic inside you. These ones are made as a weaker dose and some of the ingredients were replaced with different ingredients than your usual recipe. It would have little to no effect at all to magical people but it’s the perfect dose and safer for you people,” Harry explained.

“So…it’s safe, right?” Maggie asked just to be certain.

“I already gave Carl some when he was injured. And it’s been tested many times before the law passed it so don’t worry,” Harry gave her a reassuring smile.

“Thank you,” Maggie smiled in relief.

“You’re welcome,” Harry patted her hand, “Now, let’s let her rest, shall we?”

After Harry re-shrunk his trunk, they left the bedroom but Patricia stayed with Beth to keep watch just in case it was needed. Lori just arrived in time.

“How is she?” she asked them.

Andrea shrugged.

“She’s okay,” Maggie said. “Well, at least we hope she will be. Harry gave her something to help her sleep. We hope that a good rest will make her feel better later.”

“So magic’s not that useful, huh? Well, at least she’s not staring into space at the ceiling again,” Andrea snorted.

Harry frowned at her tone. Then he noticed that she wasn’t wearing her bracelet anymore. It seemed that there were more people who were angry with him than he expected.

“Harry’s doing his best and I’m grateful for it,” Maggie said.

“Yeah, right,” Andrea snorted again.

“What’s your problem? I thought you were friends?” Maggie asked, frowning.

Lori scoffed. “Yeah, some friend he is,” she sneered. “You’re really selfish, Harry. You let our people die just so you could keep your secret. Hell, you were willing to let my boy die because you didn’t want me to know your secret when all I wanted was to make sure whatever you did was safe for Carl. It’s something all mothers would do. Tell me…if it weren’t for your need to hide your magic, would you’ve been able to save Amy? Jim? Sophia?”

Harry froze.

“Yeah, that’s what we thought,” she sneered deeper before leaving. Andrea glared at him hatefully before following Lori to leave.

“Harry…” Maggie touched his arm.

“She’s right…they’re right…I could’ve done more and I didn’t…they died because of me…” Harry said with deep regret.

“But they’re in a better place, now,” Maggie said.

Harry snorted bitterly. “I’ve also been thinking…trouble always found me before…and all of these disasters our group has encountered since I arrived…it’s probably my fault too…”

“Harry… you can’t take all the blame like this…sometimes shits just happens,” Maggie told him.

Harry shook his head and left. Maggie watched him sadly. She didn’t know what to say because she was just an outsider here. She didn’t know the stories. She looked at Jimmy and the boy shrugged. They could only exchange helpless looks.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry watched from the camp as Andrea, T-Dog and Shane burned the walkers’ bodies near the barn. As the flames rose in the air, getting higher and higher, Shane looked up and their eyes met. Shane’s eyes were void of emotions. Harry couldn’t see any of the worry, protectiveness and…the beginning of love he had seen in the man’s eyes before.

His heart twisted with pain.

He turned away and went for a walk. He found Daryl on a spot rather far away from the camp and the house, farther than the barn, only in the opposite direction. He was carving something, new arrows for his crossbow most likely.

“Need help?” Harry asked.

Daryl didn’t answer. He just kept carving. Harry sighed.

“Are you angry with me, too?” he asked again.

“Who else is angry?” Daryl asked back instead of answering.

“Andrea and Carol…Shane…I think T-Dog is also avoiding me…Lori…”

Daryl snorted rudely. “No need to tell me about that useless bitch. She’s been giving me the stink eye since she found out I got magic in my blood. Ain’t matter I’m a squib. And she still had the nerve to ask for my help earlier, looking for her dearest husband, and calling me selfish when I refused.”

“Really? I didn’t notice that…”

“Nah, you’ve been too busy fucking your boyfriend to notice,” he smirked.

Harry blushed before his face darkened. “I don’t think he’ll be my boyfriend for much longer…I think I did something that made him angry…”

“So? Couples fight all the time. Don’t tell me you’re here to get mushy with me with your couple stuff,” Daryl looked disgusted.

Harry chuckled. “Does this mean you’re not angry with me?”

Daryl exhaled. “You should have told us, though. That she’s gone…then again Rick would probably insist we find her body anyway,” he snorted again. “At least you didn’t know she was in the barn, right?”

Harry shook his head frantically.

“Good. Now sit. It’s exhausting looking up every time I talk. Get a knife and help me make some arrows. Mine have run out,” Daryl ordered.

“I could just use magic to help with the carving,” Harry said, pulling out his wand.

Daryl looked at the wand. “Hey, you got me thinking…think you can find my brother with that?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah…you want me to try?”

Daryl looked thoughtful but then nodded determinedly, “Name’s Merle Dixon.”

“Point me Merle Dixon,” Harry muttered.

The wand lifted, twirled a few times and then stopped, pointing in a direction. Daryl heaved a sigh of relief.

“That means he’s alive, right?”

“Yeah,” Harry smiled.

“I thought so. Toughest son of a bitch I’ve ever met, my brother,” Daryl smirked. “You think he’s far?”

Harry shrugged. “I dunno…it could be. The wand twirls for the amount of time the spell needs to find the object. Since it was a few seconds…he could be nearby or a state or two from here.”

Daryl nodded in acceptance.

“Are you going to look for him?”

“Probably…I dunno…I’d like to but…it’s been chaos these last few days…”

“Yeah,” Harry sighed. “Besides, I’ve seen that you’ve become some kind of moral support for Carol. She’s going to need you…”

Daryl humphed.

“So…about carving the arrows with magic?”

“Why not just duplicate the whole set?”

“Conjuration only last depends on how powerful the wizard’s magic is. It could be an hour or a few weeks. After the magic runs out, it would vanish. So, carving?”

“Whatever. Just do it,” Daryl grumbled without any heat.

They worked in silence until the sky was dark.

**~ To be continued ~**


	17. Chapter 16

Everyone gathered in the house for dinner. Carol and Jimmy had been helping Patricia prepare the meals while Maggie took watch on Beth. Carl and Dale helped to set the table. T-Dog was already sitting in his chair when Andrea and Shane came in.

“They should’ve been back by now,” Andrea said worriedly, talking about Rick, Glenn and Hershel.

“Yeah. They just got holed up somewhere,” Shane assured her as he took his seat. “We’ll head out first thing in the morning. Thank you,” he scooped up some of the food.

“You’re welcome,” Patricia nodded.

“Thanks,” Andrea smiled at Carol as she took the bread.

Shane looked at Carl. The boy looked worried. He must be thinking about his dad and just when he found out his friend was dead.

“Carl, I want you to keep your head up, okay?” Shane told the worried looking boy.“Your old man, he’s the toughest son of a…”

“No cussing in the house,” Patricia cut him off with a warning look.

“Sorry,” Shane shrugged sheepishly.

“Lori, dinner,” Carol called out to the next room.

“She’s not in there,” Maggie told her.

“Where is she?” Dale frowned.

Silence. Everyone looked at each other questioningly. Shane got a cold feeling in his gut.

“Carl, when was the last time you saw your mom?” Shane asked.

“This afternoon,” Carl replied.

“She was worried about Rick, asked me to look in on Carl,” Andrea informed him.

“She went after them?” Dale looked surprised. Shane slapped his napkin onto the table in exasperation. The cold feeling just turned freezing.

“She didn’t say that,” Andrea shook her head.

“Nobody panic. She’s got to be around here somewhere,” Shane got up.

Everyone looked worried anyway and got up to help searching for the currently missing woman.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry and Daryl sat together around a fire that Harry had created with a spell. Daryl was roasting the squirrel meat he had skinned earlier. Harry supposed he was roasting the wizard’s share too, seeing that it was way too much and Daryl was not the type to eat that much. It was part of survival rules Daryl had to preserve as many supplies as you could to last longer, eating only when and as much as you needed to survive and nothing more.

They knew the others were going to have dinner at the house around this time. It had been like a little tradition to prepare and eat dinner together since their first dinner with the Greene’s a couple of days ago. But Harry didn’t feel like joining them since some members of the group weren’t exactly welcoming right now and that would only make the situation awkward and tense. Daryl was feeling like being away from them too, for whatever reason.

Harry glanced at the necklace made of walkers’ ears that was hung on the rope near them. “That’s creepy, you know,” Harry said, indicating the necklace.

“So?”

“That’s, like, a trophy to you?”

Daryl was silent. “I was hallucinating about my brother at the creek when I found the girl’s doll.”

“Not pleasant?”

“It just…reminded me of something my brother often said.”

“Oh…was it right?”

“I dunno…”

The wizard hummed. “You said your mom was a squib. What about your dad?”

“Idle talk?” Daryl smirked. “My old man was just a muggle. He didn’t believe in those things. My momma was the one with magical blood.”

“What was her maiden name?”

“The name’s Hitchens.”

Harry frowned. “That name sounds familiar for some reason.”

Daryl shrugged. “My grandparents moved to The States when they got married, but before that, they came from England. That’s what my momma said anyway.”

Harry rubbed his chin in thought. His mind swirled around the name. Then it came to him. “Bob Hitchens!” Harry snapped his fingers.

“Who?”

“Isla Black was disowned for marrying a muggleborn named Bob Hitchens more than a century ago,” Harry said. “I never heard about them after she was disowned. I only ever saw her name on the Black tapestry.”

“Isla Black? So…that means…”

“We’re related! I mean, what’s the chance of a Hitchens from England being a squib, huh?” Harry grinned. “My godfather was a Black. His great-aunt was my grandmother on my father’s side, Dorea Black.”

“Great-aunt?” Daryl looked thoughtful, “But that…”

“Yeah…She and her husband had difficulty in having kids. They only ever had my father and it was late in their life. Hence why Sirius and my Dad were the same age when normally my Dad would’ve been much older and like his uncle or something.”

“Must be confusing,” Daryl commented.

“That’s inbreeding for you,” Harry shrugged. “Fertility problem. Most of the purebloods I’ve met only had one child. Some were lucky enough to have more and some of them were old enough to be their baby’s grandparents. Well, except for the Weasley’s. It was better before the apocalypse, though, because the view on blood status wasn’t as extreme as the old days since the last war.”

Daryl snorted, shaking his head.

“We can’t find Lori!” Harry looked up to see Carol running to them. “And the others aren’t back yet either.”

Daryl glanced at her and then back to the fire. “That dumb bitch must’ve gone off looking for them,” he said.

“What?”

“Lori asked him to look for Rick and the others earlier this evening,” Harry said.

“And you two let her go alone?” Carol asked in disbelief.

Harry shrugged. “I wasn’t here.”

“I told her I was done being an errand boy,” Daryl said and added, “And I didn’t think she would be dumb enough to go on her own. Though, that’s probably me overestimating her.”

“And you didn’t say anything?” Carol asked again.

Daryl was silent. Harry just shrugged.

“Don’t do this. Please,” Carol pleaded to Daryl. “I’ve already lost my girl.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t my problem either,” he cut her off.

She looked angry. “Look, it’s bad enough that someone is too selfish to care for and help others, to not say anything when he could’ve helped us. Don’t add yourself to that number. You’re better than that.”

Harry looked down at the jab she made at him. Daryl glared at her.

“Unfortunately for you, bitch, I’m always part of that number,” Daryl sneered.

She exhaled exasperatedly and stomped away, but stopped after a few steps and stomped back and glared at Harry. “So you’re going to sit here and do nothing? Again? You’re willing to let another of us die?”

Harry sighed. “Of course not,” he got up from his place.

“You gotta admit, though, she made it difficult for us to want to help her willingly,” Daryl said as he followed suit.

Harry snorted in agreement.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“She’s not at the barn,” Shane reported as they gathered back at the camp.

“I checked the yards,” T-Dog said.

“Well, where is she?” Carl asked.

“She asked Daryl to go into town,” Carol reported as she joined them with Daryl and Harry in tow. “Must’ve gone herself.”

Carl whimpered. Andrea tried to comfort him but he ran away, already starting sniffling with tears. He obviously feared the worst with both of his parents out there and separated from each other.

“Did you know about this?” Shane asked Daryl.

“No,” Daryl denied. “I overestimated her to be smart enough to stay and wait.”

Shane looked like he wanted to punch him but inhaled deeply instead, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, just…did she take a gun?” he asked Dale, the one who usually kept watch on the RV and thus on the guns.

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t let her go out there alone,” Dale said.

The man sighed in exasperation and walked away in a hurry.

“Shane, wait!” Harry called out to him.

The man ignored him and just kept striding away. Harry ran after him and got in from the other side. Shane glared at him, making him falter for some reason. He still didn’t know the reason the man was angry with him for. He didn’t back down, though.

“Look, you wanna look for her, I know. I can help. Wizard, remember?” Harry said. For some reason, Shane’s eye twitched at the word “wizard”. Harry felt his heart sink a little.

“Fine,” Shane snarled.

He started the car and drove away in a hurry. Harry pulled out his wand and did the point-me spell. Shane watched the wand’s movement from the corner of his eyes, making sure he was driving in the right direction.

They drove for about ten minutes before they found a crashed car and two walkers’ bodies nearby. Harry had never seen Shane look so scared before. They were relieved that they didn’t find Lori’s body, though. At least, there was hope she took down the walkers before walking away. Another fifteen minutes of driving, they saw a silhouette of someone walking. Without checking whether it was a walker or not, Shane stopped the car and jumped out.

“Stay here,” he ordered.

“But I can…”

“Stay here!” he barked.

Harry jumped in surprise and nodded. He looked at the man in confusion. The silhouette turned around. It was Lori. Shane approached her quickly, taking out a flashlight.

“Are you all right?” he asked, flashing the light in her eyes, checking for any sign of trauma and injuries or anything wrong.

“I’m fine,” she replied.

“You’re not fine. I saw the wreck,” Shane snapped. “Let me look at you.”

“Who’s in the car?” Lori glanced at the car. She could make out the silhouette of someone but the car lights blinded her.

“What happened?” Shane asked back.

“Looked down at the map and hit a walker,” she said.

“Next time stay put, you won’t need a map. Come on, I gotta get you back,” Shane said.

“No, we gotta find Rick,” she pulled away.

Shane opened his mouth and closed it. He sighed. He made a quick decision. “He’s back. They’re all back. They’re all safe and sound,” he lied.

“Really?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

Lori breathed a sigh of relief, “Oh, thank God.”

She walked to the car. Shane followed her to his own side. Lori opened the passenger door and frowned.

“You brought him?” she looked at Shane accusingly.

“I needed him to find you,” Shane explained. “Move to the back, Harry. She needs to sit on the front. Less bumping.”

Harry frowned at him, but he did it anyway. He moved between the seats and went to the backseat. He let out an “Oomph!” when he landed on the backseat in an awkward position. Lori got in before Shane and she shot him a smug look before the other man could see. Harry’s frown deepened. Something wasn’t right here. Now he had a feeling that Lori had something to do with Shane’s anger at him, if her reaction just now was anything to go by.

They drove back in silence.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Carol searched for Daryl around his camp spot where he had dinner with Harry earlier. The man had disappeared with a scoff after the wizard and Shane went off to look for Lori. She looked at Daryl’s hunting collections. Dead squirrel, dead squirrel, more dead squirrels… She paused at the last item. It was a necklace…made of human ears…no, walker ears. She stepped back from it, feeling nauseous. She almost bumped into the man she was looking for when she turned around.

“What are you doing?” Daryl glared.

“God,” she said in surprise, stepping back a little. She looked at him before replying, “Keeping an eye on you.”

“Ain’t you a peach?” He sneered.

“I’m not gonna let you pull away. You’ve earned your place,” she said.

“If you spent half your time minding your daughter’s business instead of sticking your nose in everybody else’s, she’d still be alive!” Daryl barked angrily.

Carol looked struck. But she held her ground. “Go ahead,” she challenged.

“Go ahead and what?” Daryl sneered. Did the woman really think he was like her husband, striking anyone he wanted?

She didn’t reply.

“I mean, just go! I don’t want you here! You’re a real piece of work, lady. What, are you gonna make this about my daddy or some crap like that? Man, you know jack. You’re afraid. You’re afraid ‘cause you’re all alone. You got no husband, no daughter. You don’t know what to do with yourself. You ain’t my problem! Sophia wasn’t mine!All you had to do was keep an eye on her!” Daryl snarled.

Carol looked away in surprise. She looked like she wanted to cry.

“I wasn’t the one who lost her…”

“Yeah? So you wanna blame Harry?! She’s not his either! And instead of dealing with your own stupidity, you blame someone else! Don’t think I ain’t notice most of y’all blaming him because he knew about her death first! Because he’s different and easiest to blame! You of all people already guessed she was dead anyway! You told me yourself!”

“I…”

“Just so you know, Harry and I…we’re related. That’s my family you’re blaming! AGAIN! My brother ain’t enough for y’all?! You have to drag another one down?” Daryl barked, shutting her up.

Carol shook her head, holding back her tears. Daryl scoffed harshly and strode away.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Everyone looked up when they heard the revving car came into sight. Lori jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped. Shane and Harry followed from behind. Shane went to help Lori who looked like she was close to falling on her feet.

“Oh, my God, are you alright? What happened?” Andrea asked as they approached.

“I was in an accident. I’m fine, I’m fine,” Lori assured her.

“She was attacked,” Shane informed them.

“I really am. Where’s Rick?” Lori asked.

They all looked at her in silence. She looked back, eyes falling on each of one them. Then realization dawned on her. Harry realized then that the man had to lie to get her back.

“They’re not back?” she asked, slowly turning to Shane. “Where are they?”

“Look, I had to get you back here,” Shane tried to reason.

“You asshole!” Lori glared and she started hitting him furiously with as much force as she could. “He’s my husband!”

“Lori, I will go after him. I will find him. Hey!” Shane grabbed her arms. “Now, look, first things first. I gotta…” Lori pulled away from him with anger. He sighed. “I gotta look after you. I gotta make sure the baby’s all right, okay?”

Everybody was stunned. Harry included. Lori looked like a deer caught in the light.

“You’re having a baby?” Carl asked what was in everyone’s minds. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lori looked around, speechless.

“Let’s make sure you’re all right,” Dale said instead.

“Come on,” Andrea guided her to the house.

Harry watched Shane, watching them go. Not even once his lover looked back at him. He felt like someone had dumped him into a freezing ocean and left him to die. Suddenly, it made sense. The sudden changes in Shane, the smug look Lori shot him earlier.

The baby was his.

Everyone sensed something was going on. They left the two of them and went back to the house, some to their own tents. Dale walked to the house but threw back worried glances now and then until he disappeared behind the door.

“So…she’s pregnant…” Harry began.

“Yeah…” Shane looked down at the car hood between his hands where he was leaning on.

“And the baby is yours? Is that why you’ve been acting strange?”

“It could still be Rick’s but that chance is small. I know it’s mine because she’s already showing signs,” Shane said.

“It’s different with each woman, you know. Some never shows any sign and some show earlier, sometimes much earlier. It depends on every woman…”

“I know it’s mine, all right?!” Shane snapped. “Otherwise, she wouldn’t…”

“Wouldn’t what?”

“Wouldn’t be so scared,” he said, but there was something else he didn’t say.

Harry huffed out a laugh. “Of course, she’s scared, Shane! She’s pregnant! In the middle of an apocalypse! A little girl just died in it! She’s scared for her baby! That doesn’t mean it’s yours…”

“It’s mine! I know it’s mine!” Shane glowered at him.

“So what? You’re going to leave me? If the way you’re acting is anything to go by? Why does that have anything to do with us?” Harry asked.

“It doesn’t.”

“Then what? Why are you acting like I’ve done something unforgivable when last night you fucked me to the mattress so eagerly?!”

“Well, that’s the problem, right? I fucked you, so what? It’s just a fuck,” he said callously.

“What?” Harry was shocked. And hurt.

“And besides, now that I’ve got time to think about it, I noticed I’ve been acting strange lately. Not like myself. Did you do something, Harry? Because as far as I can remember, I was suspicious of you! I knew there was something off about you and then I found out I was right, again and again! Instead of dealing with you right away, I found myself fucking you!”

“What are you trying to say? That I…what? Dosed you with a love potion or something? Imperio-ed…mind controlling you or something?” Harry looked incredulous.

“I don’t know. You tell me,” Shane crossed his arms in challenge. “Because all my life, I haven’t been the accepting type. And yet I accepted you right away and even after I watched you come back from death, one of the freakiest and creepiest things I’d ever seen, I was still entranced by you.”

“I can’t believe this…” Harry muttered to himself. “If I dosed you with a love potion, you wouldn’t be here questioning me! IF you were under the effect of a love potion, I could kill everyone in the group and you would STILL worship me! That’s a love potion for you!”

“How can I know you’re telling the truth? And if not the potion, you still can do something else. Like that persuasion thing you were talking about before, because that one would be less obvious to everyone, right?”

Harry opened his mouth. “I…you really think I would do something like that? To you?” he asked in a hurt tone.

Shane scoffed a laugh. “Oh, please,” he sneered. “You think pulling the kitten face now will help you? We don’t know what you’re capable of, Harry. You told T-Dog that yourself. I won’t take the risk of you doing something to my baby like you did to me…”

“Is that what Lori told you?” Harry cut him off. “Because she’s been shooting me smug and triumphant looks since we found her. Since she saw the way you’ve been treating me. What? Did she tell you the baby is yours? A hundred percent yours? And what, she said you couldn’t be a part of the baby’s life if you’re with me? She promised that she would be with you if it’s yours and you left me? She’ll leave Rick for you?”

Shane’s nostrils flared at the mocking tone. His eye twitched. Harry could see that he hit a nerve.

“I love her…”

“No! You think!” Harry snapped. “You think you love her! She’s your brother’s wife!”

“And I have no intention to rip them apart! But I WILL be a part of my child’s life! Even if that means leaving you! By God, you were just a fuck!”

Harry was struck by the words. He had never been the object of Shane’s suspicious nature before, not really. He knew the man was vicious when it came to things that he held dear, but he had never stood on the other side of the man’s protectiveness. Never once had he imagined he would be. And it burnt. It burnt so deeply now that it happened and he realized why.

Shane saw the hurt and betrayal shining brightly in those beautiful eyes, tears welling up. It made him feel like apologizing. He scoffed inwardly and turned around.

“Was it all lie?”

Shane stopped.

“You said…you were here for me…you said I wasn’t a rebound…that we were together and you wouldn’t have it any other way…were they all lies?”

Silence. And then Shane walked away.

“I don’t have time for this.”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick was wondering to himself how he had gotten himself in this situation. He, Glenn and Hershel were hiding in a bar from some armed thugs right now.

Hours before, when they found out Beth was in shock and Hershel went missing, Rick went to look for the old man. Glenn volunteered to help. They found him in a bar in the town, drinking his sorrow off. The old man had lost all hope. They were arguing about the point of keeping fighting when suddenly two men with guns came in.

First glance at them, Rick knew they were trouble.

They talked a little about what each of them had gone through since the world ended. Apparently, the two men had friends and they were just scouting. They talked about possible refugee shelters in DC, Nebraska and how it was just pipe dream, even Fort Benning was gone. When they heard about Hershel’s farm, though, they got interested.

Rick promptly refused to take them there, saying they couldn’t take in more people. These men smelled like trouble. He didn’t want them anywhere their group and Hershel’s family, especially with Lori being pregnant. In the end, he was left with no choice but killing the two men and that started another problem all together. And now here they were, trapped inside the bar with the men’s buddies outside and armed, looking for their missing members.

Even though he tried to talk his way out, he knew that in the end they didn’t have a choice but shoot their way out. And with all of the shooting that had already been done, the walkers were going be here at any moment now.

They tried to make their way out from the backdoor, but Glenn was shot. A man came out from the other side of the back alley. Thankfully, the shot missed and Glenn was fine. Hershel shot the man. Rick was by his side in a flash and went to check on Glenn. The boy was in shock, but otherwise he was fine. Then the shooting started. They had people surrounding the place.

Suddenly, a car came and shouting to someone at the roof, their shooter, about walkers coming to the place and they had to leave. The shooter jumped from the roof, but from the pained scream they heard, it seemed his landing wasn’t smooth. The shooter’s friend left him there.

Then walkers began to appear. The dark man Hershel shot earlier was still groaning in pain and soon the groan turned into screams as the walkers came for him, biting, pulling, tearing and eating his flesh. Hershel watched this with a horrified look on his face.

Rick, Hershel and Glenn ran to the shooter to find his leg was pierced through a pointy top of an iron gate. There was some heavy bleeding. His screaming attracted more walkers. Glenn and Hershel said that they had to leave but Rick didn’t want to leave the shooter to die when he was defenseless. They tried to cut his leg off from his wound but it took too much time and produced more screaming. They were already surrounded. Soon, they wouldn’t be able to fight their way out.

So, Rick did the only thing he could think of. He pushed the leg up forcefully until it was free. The pain and the blood loss became too much for the shooter and that was when he passed out.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Lori and Carl sat in the living room. Dale sat on a chair near the couch while Andrea came out, handing a cup of tea to Lori. She smiled her thanks.

“I’m so sorry I left without telling you,” Lori said to her son.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t scared.” The boy tried to look brave, “When’s Dad getting back?”

“Let’s hope soon,” she said.

“I wanna be there when you tell him about the baby,” Carl said.

“He already knows. We were just trying to find the right time to tell you,” she smiled.

“Is it a boy or a girl?”

“Well, we won’t know that until it’s born.”

“We can ask Harry!” Carl perked up. “He can do magic. He can find out for us, right?”

Lori twitched a little. She forced a smile, “I’d rather not…I…want it to be a surprise.”

Carl slumped a little, nodding. “Will I be able to feel it?”

“Not for a while.”

He nodded.

“You must have a lot of questions, huh? We never had The Talk. I guess we forgot.”

Carl looked at them, trying to understand.

“Don’t look at me. That’s your father’s job,” Dale said.

“If the baby’s a girl, can we name her Sophia?”

Everyone sobered remembering the girl.

“Hey, dude.”

They turned around to find Shane smiling at them, walking into the room.

“Hey, I’m sorry, bud. Okay? I thought you knew,” Shane said, hinting about the baby.

“Big brother Carl. Pretty cool, huh?” Carl smiled.

“I say that’s very cool,” Shane nodded in agreement. “You mind if I talk to your mom a sec?”

“How about a little later after she’s had some rest?” Andrea suggested.

“Lori, I had to get you back here. You wouldn’t have come otherwise,” Shane explained.

Silence. Lori didn’t turn around. She was still understandably pissed. Shane sighed and looked away from everyone’s stares.

“How about you…just hear me out, please? It’s okay.”

“Can you give me a minute?” Lori asked her son.

Carl nodded.

“Thanks, bud,” Shane told him.

Everyone left the room with the boy. Dale looked at him before he went, looking at him like telling him not do anything stupid. Shane avoided his gaze.

“Okay. Lori, it was a lie. It was one little white lie,” Shane said when she kept silent. “But I think that…I think you ought to be thinking about how lucky we are that your baby’s safe.”

“You just can’t stop lying, can you?” she accused. “My husband is back safe and sound. My husband is dead in some hospital.”

“When are you gonna stop throwing that in my face, huh? I thought that he was…” Shane inhaled. “The point here, Lori, is that you cannot keep running off like that. What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking we needed Rick here to keep us safe,” she said.

“Rick? I keep you safe. I was the one to get you out of town. I was the one who protected you and Carl for months. I was the one who made the decision to clear out the barn for all of us. Hell, I broke up with Harry for you!”

She looked up at him in surprise.

“Yeah…that’s what you wanted, right?” Shane said. “I…you’re right…we don’t know him and I changed so much and so suddenly it was just plain scary…I understand why you don’t trust me anymore, that you think he must have done something to me, but…I love Rick and Carl and I love you…and I love this baby, our baby…”

“It’s Rick’s…”

“It’s not Rick’s and you know it,” Shane stated. “I’m not going to break you two up, Lori. I’m not going to steal anything that’s not mine, but this baby…it’s mine. Just let me be a part of this…I deserve this…Harry’s not gonna bother us anymore and we don’t have to tell Rick about it…”

She looked down. “I told Rick…”

“What?” he looked at her. “You told him what?”

Silence.

“Did you tell him that you thought you were a widow? That you were grieving and that the world was coming to an end? That you needed…”

“He knows! He understands, okay? He knows that we know it was a mistake.”

He sighed in relief. “Good…that’s good…Yes, it was a mistake…Not that I think this baby is a mistake…”

“You really broke up with him?”

“Yeah…not that there’s anything to break up for…it was just a fuck…”

Lori hummed, looking as if she wasn’t fully convinced but she nodded her acceptance. “Good. It’s not like I don’t want you to be happy, Shane…I want you to have someone too but not…not him, okay? I don’t have a problem with you being with a man, it’s your happiness, but him…you gotta admit that there were way too many coincidences since he arrived and not in a good way either…I don’t want to risk anything…especially with this…” she said with her hand over her stomach.

“I know…I know, you’re right…I understand it…”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry watched the sunrise from his place at the rooftop of the barn. His eyes were empty and his heart was numb. His whole body felt numb. Sitting there like that, he was reminded of the days when he had nothing to do other then sit on the rooftop of the buildings in Atlanta. Only this time, he felt worst.

He heard something creaking and clattering. He heard footsteps and roof tiles creaking under the assault of two feet. He heard someone sit beside him. He didn’t acknowledge any of it.

“Something bothering ya?” Daryl asked.

Harry hummed absent-mindedly.

“I heard your fight…not the words, just some shouting…you, uh, wanna talk about it?”

“I thought you didn’t like mushy couple things? Since when do you nose around people’s business? Couples fight all the time, right?”

Daryl took in his appearance, his red-rimmed eyes and the empty expression.

“She’s pregnant…”

“Who?” Daryl asked curiously.

“Lori…and it’s Shane’s…they had a thing when they thought Rick was dead and…he broke it up with me,” Harry bit his lips, quickly wiping his eyes when they welled up with tears again.

“Because of the baby?”

Harry shook his head. “No, he said I was just a fuck…he never liked anyone so quickly before, he said…I probably dosed him with a love potion or something…”

“That doesn’t make a lick of sense,” Daryl said.

“It’s probably Lori’s words…but she’s pregnant with his child, so…”

“So he’s back to her beck and call? What a pussy,” he scoffed.

Harry laughed but broke into tears in the end. Daryl swallowed uncomfortably. Emotions were not his forte.

“He didn’t return to our tent all night…I guess it will be his tent from now on. I doubt he would want me stay with him again…”

“Hey…”

“No. It’s okay…I’m the one who was dumb enough to let anyone in…I mean, it’s been, what…a week or so since we met each other and that’s how long people usually have a fling, right? Even before all of this…I’m the one who’s stupid enough to think it was something more…”

Daryl sighed, wondering again why he thought that coming here was a good idea.

“That pussy ain’t worth the tears, man…He don’t know what he’s just lost…”

“Yeah, a freak,” Harry snorted.

“You ain’t a…”

“But I am!” Harry snapped. “Even among the wizards, I’m still a freak! Immortal here, remember?!”

Daryl shrugged uncomfortably. Really, what could he say to that? It wasn’t like it wasn’t true.

“I’m sorry…” Harry sighed, sniffling in his tears. “You’re just trying to be nice and I…”

“Hey, don’t mind it,” Daryl waved it off.

“Why are you here, Daryl? Aren’t you angry with me? About Sophia…”

“If I was angry, you’d know,” Daryl cut him off. “As for me being here…you’re family. You said it yourself. We’re related. Family sticks together.”

Harry felt like someone had just knocked the breath out of him. It had been a really long time since someone declared him family.

“Just because we share the same ancestors, doesn’t mean you’re obligated…”

“Harry!” Daryl snapped. “You’re family. We’re family. End of story!”

Harry kept silent for a while. He blinked rapidly, trying to chase the tears away but he failed. He hiccupped a little when a tear escaped. Daryl put a comforting hand on his shoulder and the smaller man choked with emotions. Harry leaned in and placed his forehead on the larger man’s shoulder and cried. They sat like that until he calmed down.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The group decided to go out looking for Rick and the others once it was passed sunrise. By that time, everyone already knew that Lori was pregnant. Fortunately, not everyone knew about the parentage of the baby, otherwise Harry wouldn’t be able to stand the attention. He preferred the uncertain and distrustful looks people were sending his way than the pitying look Dale was giving him.

He had a feeling the old man knew what had happened between him and Shane.

Anyway, they were preparing for the search, including Harry and Daryl, when suddenly a car drove into the farm. It stopped in front of the house and Rick stepped out. Carl immediately ran up to him with a happy laugh, relieved that his father was all right. Lori was only seconds behind him. Shane looked at the reunion, he turned away and his eyes landed on Harry. The wizard steeled himself but Shane only looked in another direction.

Harry felt the familiar and still very painful pang in his heart.

The man had been avoiding him since last night after all. And Lori also had been observing their interactions. Harry hated her. He blamed her for the pain he was in now. What right did she have to meddle in something that had nothing to do with her? Was she really that much of a bigot? That hateful? He snorted. Who was he kidding? The Dursley’s were like that, and they were related to him. Why would she be any different?

Still, in a twisted way, he kind of thankful for her actions. It showed him how much he meant for Shane. Nothing. Especially compared to her…his…their baby…

Harry would be angry if Shane just abandoned his child just so he could stay with him. But still, a small selfish part of him wished the man would choose him. It was all so confusing. And for the first time since he arrived in this group, he wished he had listened to his mind when he thought that joining other people was a bad idea.

“You’re okay,” Lori said to Rick, relieved. “Are you hurt?”

“No, but what happened to you?” Rick asked, checking on her injuries but mostly they were just scratches.

“I was in a car accident.”

“Accident? How?” Rick looked shocked.

“I went looking for you,” she replied.

“Snuck out on her own. I brought her back,” Shane added.

“Are you crazy?” Rick demanded. “You could’ve…”

Maggie ran up to them too, but instead to hugging her dad, she went to Glenn. The old man looked annoyed but kept walking. Glenn didn’t look so enthusiastic about the hug, though. He pulled away tiredly, earning confused look from Maggie as he walked off.

“Harry, you got a patient,” Hershel said.

Harry frowned in confusion. He saw a blindfolded young man on the backseat of the car, possibly unconscious.

“Who the hell is that?” T-Dog pointed to the young man, gaining everyone’s attention.

“That’s Randall,” Glenn sighed.

Once inside, Rick told them what had happened to them at the town and why Randall came with them. Many disapproved of Rick’s decision to bring him with them.

“We couldn’t just leave him behind. He would’ve bled out, if he lived that long,” Rick argued.

“It’s gotten bad in town,” Glenn added.

“What do we do with him?” Andrea asked.

“I’ve healed his wound. It will be tender for a while, so he’ll have to take it easy since it was stabbed through. So unless he wants some nerve damage, which I don’t have the expertise to heal, he won’t be on his feet for at least a few days,” Harry spoke up as he walked into the room.

“Well, when he is, we give him a canteen and take him out to the main road, send him on his way,” Rick said.

“Isn’t that the same as leaving him for the walkers?” Andrea looked confused and incredulous at the same time.

“He’ll have a fighting chance.”

“Just gonna let him go? He knows where we are.”

“He was blindfolded the whole way here. He’s not a threat.”

“Not a threat. How many of them were there? You killed three of their men, you took one of them hostage, but they just ain’t gonna come looking?” Shane asked unbelieving.

“They left him for dead. No one was looking,” Rick assured them.

“We should still post a guard,” T-Dog suggested.

“He’s out cold right now, will be for hours…I can make it longer…” Harry shrugged.

“You know what? I’m gonna go get him some flowers and candy,” Shane said with sarcasm as he strode to the door, “Look at this, folks! We’re back in fantasy land!”

“We haven’t even dealt with what you did at my barn yet!” Hershel snapped at him. “Let me make this perfectly clear once and for all. This is my farm. I wanted you gone. Rick talked me out of it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. So do us both a favor. Keep your mouth shut!”

“Okay, that’s it. No shouting and no fighting between our own people over a stranger, okay?” Harry said. “If you guys are so afraid of him finding out about the farm, I can just erase his memories of the location or everything that happened last night.”

Silence.

“You can do that?” Andrea asked with a strange look on her face. “I thought only a special group of your law enforcement could do that.”

Harry changed his expression into a neutral one. “It’s just a spell. Every wizard and witch can learn it if they want. As long as it’s only one person at a time, it’s easy. The Obliviators were different. They were trained to do it for special cases with muggles on larger scales, multiple people all at once, no target’s missed. That’s all.”

“See? So we don’t have a problem here, right?” Rick said.

No one argued, but there was uneasiness in everyone, except Daryl, at the idea of someone that could erase other people’s memories easily. It increased the distrustful looks in those that had already doubted Harry; there was even a small mix of fear in their eyes. Harry just kept his stony expression.

“Look, we’re not gonna do anything about it today,” Rick said again, sensing the tension. “Let’s just cool off.”

Everyone began to disperse. Carol looked at Daryl with concern as she walked past him. He avoided her and stormed out of the door. Harry stood there as everyone walked past him, he didn’t say anything when Lori and Andrea bumped his shoulder, whether or not they did that on purpose, he didn’t know. Carol just avoided looking at him, looking bitter but also strangely guilty.

“I didn’t need to you to jump to my defense.”

Harry almost jumped at the sound. He thought he was alone. He turned around to find Shane looking at him with strange expressions on his face, it was a cross between anger or guilt or something, he didn’t know for sure.

“I didn’t do it for you,” he told him.

Shane looked at him for a second longer before turning around with a humph, striding to the door and out of the house.

Harry sighed once he was really alone.

He, once again, felt like he wouldn’t be with the group for much longer. He had a feeling that he was right this time.

**~ To be continued ~**


	18. Chapter 17

Maggie looked at her father sitting on Beth’s bedside, holding her hand. She was upset and brokenhearted. Glenn had been acting weird since they came back and she had pulled him aside to talk earlier. It had an unexpected result.

She was scared when she found out that he would have been shot if not for her father and Rick. What she didn’t expect was for Glenn to blame it on her love confession from the other day, saying that all he could think about was her and how he had to stay alive for her, only thinking about himself when others depended on him and instead of it being a good thing, it was the worst thing. He rejected her.

“Has she eaten?” Hershel asked.

Maggie shook her head. She was angry with him. “You were drinking,” she accused.

“That was the least of my worries.”

“You left and I didn’t know what to do!” she cried, taking out her frustration and anger on him.

He was silent. Maggie looked at him with scorn and left the room.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Want me to take watch?”

Shane looked over his shoulder to see Andrea approaching him. “Yeah. Relieve T in a few hours. I’m gonna take the graveyard.”

“And then what? We just send him on his merry way?”

“According to Rick and Hershel.”

“If he finds his people and leads them here we’ll have a war on our hands.”

“Then it’s a good thing we’ve got a powerful wizard to erase his memory first, huh?”

Andrea sighed, looking at him. “Your ever consider a lighter touch? Abandoning the search for Sophia, taking out the walkers in the barn, lying to Lori today…those were the right calls. It’s your presentation that leaves something to be desired.”

“Dale send you?”

“I see you pushing everyone away, including Harry. Why? They need you,” she said.

“I thought you hated Harry?”

“I do. I don’t trust him. He’s keeping secrets when he shouldn’t and he’s a selfish coward with messed up priorities,” Andrea said bluntly, “But that doesn’t mean I can’t see what effect he has on you. He’s good for you.”

“And you don’t think there’s something weird about that? With how good he was with me and how I just went along with his messed up ideas? You know how I was with strangers before.”

“No. I saw a good match and you’re going to throw it away for whatever reason. We all have our boons with Harry and his secrets and lack of help but you were right there with him so I don’t understand what your problem is.”

Shane looked away from her. “I’ll always be the odd man out. The same as you.”

“I’ve made my peace,” Andrea shook her head.

He snorted. “Have you? The way I see it, you and me, we’re treated the same way. Everyone’s always trying to take the gun out of your hand. These folks, they want to play house. They wanna pretend that Rick and Hershel know what they’re doing. Let me tell you something, they’re bound to get us all killed.”

“Then we have to stop that.”

“They don’t listen. And we’re just gonna…sit here and wait for it. But you and me, we’re the only ones who see it coming,” Shane snapped. “Don’t know what I was thinking handing the leadership over to Rick…”

Andrea was silent at the painful truth as she watched him stride away.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“We need to talk about Shane.”

Rick looked up at Lori from his place on the cot. They had gone back to their tent as soon as the discussion at the house was over.

“What’s he done now?” he sighed.

“He thinks the baby’s his,” Lori told him, watching him pause. “No matter what, it’s yours.”

Rick nodded, thinking, “He’ll accept that.”

“You’re gonna have to make him. He won’t listen to me. When I went looking for you, he came after me…”

“Well, of course he did.”

“And lied to me to get me back here, said you were already back.”

“What…”

“You saw what he did at the barn. He threatened Hershel. He’s been out of control and angry for no reason since…I don’t know, but he’s scaring people and he’s scaring me…” she sighed, “He says you can’t protect us, that he’s the one who’s been keeping us safe all this time…the barn and everything…he says he’s not gonna break us apart, that he doesn’t want to steal what’s not his…but he thinks the baby is his…I’m afraid…he wouldn’t hesitate to claim the baby…”

Rick frowned deeply.

“He’s getting out of control, Rick…Just look at his reaction and what he suggested earlier about leaving that boy to the walkers. He’s…I don’t know…he’s getting dangerous…and he wasn’t like that before Harry…”

“Harry? What does this have to do with him?” Rick interrupted, confused.

“I’m not sure, but I think he’s doing something to Shane, changing him into someone he’s not…you know he can do that, he has his magic. I mean, he easily suggested erasing someone’s memories…”

“For our safety.”

“Yeah, but what else could he do? I mean, look at Shane. Does he act like the man you knew before? Was he always so angry and dangerous? Until two days ago, he was fine and then yesterday, he suddenly changed.”

“Well, you said it yourself, he was fine two days ago. If Harry did something, it would’ve been way before that…”

“Maybe or maybe not. I mean, two nights ago they…had sex, remember? What if Harry did something to him at the time?”

“Are you listening to yourself, Lori?” Rick laughed incredulously. “Is that what this is about? You don’t like Shane being with Harry? Are you jealous?”

“Rick! It’s not like that at all! Shane and I agree that what we did was a mistake,” she quickly assured him. “It’s just…we don’t know what he’s capable of, alright? And it’s not just me either; everyone in the group is suspicious of him.”

“What? No…”

“Look, Rick. I know you want to see the best in a person and you feel like you owe him for saving Carl. I do feel like that. But other than that, he has done nothing but lead our group from one danger to another since he arrived. Just ask the others, they’ll tell you the same. Besides, do you really want to risk him doing something to Shane, your best friend? At this point, the way he’s acting, Shane’s gonna break us all apart and I don’t think he realizes that…that he wants that…”

Rick opened and closed his mouth, exhaling. “Look, if what you’re saying is true then…why? Why would Harry do something like that? What’s his reason?”

Lori shrugged. “Beats me. How should I know? I’m just telling you my concerns…everybody’s concerns.”

Rick sighed again. “Even if that was true, not that I believe it, what can we do? Alienate him until he leaves? That’s not an option at all.”

“Why not? Why are you so willing to trust him?” Lori was upset.

Rick looked at her in disbelief, like he couldn’t believe she was stupid enough to ask that question. She was offended. “You mean other than the fact that he can do whatever he wants with his magic like you’ve been accusing him of all this time? How about being the only doctor we have? You’re pregnant, Lori! We’re going to need him! We can’t afford to alienate him just because you don’t like him!”

Lori opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again when she couldn’t find any comeback because he was right. She didn’t look happy at being called out, though, so she turned away from her husband with a huff.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry looked up from his perch on the farm fence when he heard footsteps. He saw Maggie running towards a tree not far away before stopping to regain her breath. There was a pained look on her face and her eyes were rimmed with red. A soft sob escaped her. She looked up and saw him there and blanched.

He smiled wryly at her and waved.

Maggie sighed and smiled back, walking towards the fence. “Didn’t notice you’re there,” she said.

“I needed some time alone,” he shrugged.

“Yeah…Me too…” she sighed.

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh, nothing…just being stupid and falling for a guy who thinks loving me back is a bad thing,” she said bitterly.

Harry had to keep himself from flinching rather violently. That really hit a nerve.

“Glenn?” he asked carefully.

“Who else?” she snorted.

“Well…Glenn’s always been a glass-half-full kind of guy. His words, not mine,” Harry offered.

She laughed, “Yeah, I guess so…called him a rotten egg once…”

Harry raised an eyebrow.

“I was angry he when told your people about the barn,” she smiled. “You guys must be angry with us too…for keeping a secret like that.”

“It was dangerous…but it’s not like you didn’t keep everything under control. Besides, I’m the last person who should be angry about keeping secrets,” Harry shrugged.

“Yeah. I saw how they treated you for keeping the girl’s death a secret…”

“Yeah…” Harry had to look down at that.

“I understand, though. Kind of…I mean, it’s not like they were going to just take your word on it. I bet that at least one of them would’ve wanted to find her body as proof. Especially Lori since she seems to hate you so much…she seems like the type that would do everything to prove you wrong…”

Harry snorted in agreement and then sighed tiredly, “It’s really exhausting, huh.”

“Yeah…”

“Just give Glenn some time…I’m sure he’ll come around and grovel on his hands and knees for your forgiveness,” Harry said.

She giggled. “Well, I’m not going to let it be easy for him.”

“Good,” Harry grinned.

Now, if only the same thing would happen to him.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The day turned into night without any more confrontation with the other members of the group or any of the Greene’s. Harry still stayed in the tent. He had intended to move his things out earlier, but when he came back to the tent, he found that all of Shane’s things were gone. That was another cut to his heart.

He had no idea where the man stayed after he moved out of their tent. He had probably gone back to the RV since he didn’t see any new tent at the camp. No, Harry was busy trying to force himself to sleep so he wouldn’t spend the night crying his heart out, not that he thought he had any tears left after that morning.

The mattress was too big for him and he could still smell the lingering scent Shane left behind from two nights ago. He spent hours staring at the tent’s wall with his back to the empty spot beside…behind him before falling asleep. It was torture. Just like last night. Only without the crying and tears.

The next several days passed by quickly and with tension among the group members. Each of them had problems of their own to be busy with and most of them had a problem with their resident wizard. By that time, everyone already knew about the break up between Harry and Shane, though they didn’t know the cause. Well, most of them didn’t know. They could see how much Harry was affected by the break up, though, and they were torn between feeling angry at him and feeling sorry for him. Harry spent his days away from them as much as he could to avoid the contempt and pitying looks sent his way. He occasionally spent a little time with the Greene’s to check on Beth but Hershel handled that one most of the time. The old man felt guilty for leaving when his family needed him the most.

There was an awkward tension between Shane and Rick because their leader now knew about the affair between Shane and Lori before his return and also because each man believed that the unborn baby Lori was carrying was theirs. Both men avoided each other and spoke only when it was needed but never once did they mention the baby or more precisely, the parentage of the baby. It made the atmosphere around the camp even more uncomfortable because the two men they considered leaders of the group were at odds and they were mostly oblivious to the real cause.

“Maggie told me about what you did for her,” Hershel said.

Harry looked at him in question.

“About you helping her to get closure by calling her mom and brother back…” Hershel hesitated, “I want to thank you…Maggie feels much better now…she’s letting go, but I need you to not do it again.”

“So, you don’t want to…”

“No. If I see them, I wouldn’t be able to let go. I’d go back to holding tightly on to the past and you’ve seen what it has done to us. Besides, you didn’t have the right to do that, to pull them back from their rest, their peace…” Hershel said heatedly.

Instead of being offended like he expected Harry to be, the wizard only smiled at him.

“You’re a wise man, Hershel,” Harry said. “You’re right. I didn’t have the right to do that, no matter if I intend to help or not. You don’t know how many people have drowned in grief and turned suicidal because they kept calling their dead loved ones back and then realizing that it wasn’t the real thing."

“And you still did that to Maggie?” he looked angry.

“Because she needed it,” Harry shrugged. “And I knew that she was strong enough to know that it was only a one-time thing for closure. I knew that she wouldn’t take it for granted and drown herself in sorrow because she still has a family that loves and needs her. She’s that strong.”

The look on Hershel’s face softened. “Yeah, you’re right. She’s strong…stronger than me in that aspect…”

“Beth on the other hand…I wouldn’t do that kind of thing for her. At least, not yet. She’s not strong enough yet,” Harry said. “You better not tell her about this…that reminds me, I need to tell that to Maggie too.”

“I’ll tell her later,” Hershel nodded in agreement. “Thank you, Harry.”

“You’re welcome,” Harry smiled.

Hershel returned his smile but then he also looked troubled and seemed to hesitate.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I’ve noticed the tension between you and your people…”

Harry couldn’t help but twitch at the words, showing what he felt about the situation. Hershel sent him a pitying look, making Harry want to hate him.

“If they make you feel singled out…you’re welcome to the couch in the living room, it’s not much but we don’t have a spare room anymore and…”

“Thank you,” Harry cut him off, “Thanks…I think…I’ll accept your offer.” He bet that Shane must’ve been feeling the effects of sleeping on the RV floor by now because the man had been crankier lately. Harry mentally slapped himself on the back of the head. Even now, he was still concerned about the man. But he couldn’t help it and still felt hope that things would get better between them.

If he were honest with himself, he would admit that he avoided the group, not because he was feeling guilty like the others thought, though that was part of it, but mostly because he was angry. He could feel it in himself, the anger and hurt that was clawing at him. He was angry with Lori for doing what she did, turning Shane against him and using her unborn baby to do it. He was disgusted. He was also angry with Shane for leading him on and just throwing him away the moment he became an inconvenience to him. So, yeah, he was angry and disappointed. But most of all, he was angry with himself for being a fool.

He should have known better than to just open his heart so easily to a stranger because, in the end, that was what Shane was. A stranger. They didn’t know each other. Their relationship, if you could call it a relationship, was built on secrets and desperation caused by the end of the world. Harry blamed it on a decade of loneliness, never having someone to himself after leaving Britain, and after months of nothing but walkers, he was back to being that foolish Gryffindor that thought everything in the world was just fine and dandy, that even with the apocalypse, happiness could be found just around the corner.

Harry snorted at his own idiocy. Snape would have had a field day sneering at and insulting him for this. Now, he avoided everyone, especially Shane and the Grimes, because he was afraid he would do something terrible in a moment of anger and jealousy.

“Harry! Dad!”

The men turned around to see Maggie running towards them with a wide smile on her face. It was the first happy smile they had seen on her since the incident at the barn.

“Beth’s awake!”

Both men jumped to their feet. Beth had been asleep for the last few days, even after the sleeping potion Harry had given her wore off. After checking her over and over, between him and Hershel, they concluded it was probably a psychological reason that Beth was still in shock and would come out of it when she was ready. Hershel had to hook her up on an IV to make sure her body got all the nutrition she needed. Afterwards, they could only monitor her vitals carefully while Patricia and Maggie tended to her more private needs religiously.

Together, the three of them went back to the house in a haste. They found Patricia, Jimmy and Otis waiting in the room with Beth sitting on the bed. They made a way for Harry and Hershel when they saw them.

“How is she?” Hershel asked.

“She just woke up a few minutes ago,” Patricia told him.

“Beth…”

“Daddy,” the girl whimpered into his arms as Hershel immediately hugged her.

The girl looked tired with red-rimmed eyes, messy hair and a general disheveled appearance. Harry took a seat on the other side of her bed, drawing the father and daughter’s attention.

“Let Harry check on you, okay, Beth? I need to know that you’re all right,” Hershel said.

Beth sniffed and shook her head. “Can you do it please, Daddy?”

“I…of course,” Hershel looked apologetically at him.

Harry shook his head and just smiled in understanding. He stood up. “Well, I’ll take my leave then since my service is not needed. But I do recommend some meals for her. Other than the IV, she hasn’t eaten any real food for days.”

“I’ll fix something up for her,” Maggie said immediately.

Having said that, Harry left the room. Maggie caught up to him and touched his arm to get his attention.

“Harry, I’m sorry about Beth…”

“No, I understand,” Harry cut her off, “She didn’t request your father because she has something against me, Maggie. She just came out of her shock and right now, she’s feeling sad and lonely and she needs her family to feel safe. That’s why she asked for your dad. I understand…I did have some patients like that before…you know…mostly children.”

“Oh, right,” Maggie smiled sheepishly. “I just don’t want you to think…you know…especially with the way your people treating you right now. I know it’s not my business but…”

“I appreciate it,” Harry grinned and patted the hand on his arm gently. “Now, go get something for your sister to eat, all right?”

The news about Beth’s recovery from her shock spread in no time. The women were especially happy and turned into mother hens. The men were just relieved, said some good wishes to the Greene’s and then went back to their own duties. Hershel said she was fine, though she needed more rest and it was clear she was still grieving so they left her alone after some well wishes.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Maggie was preparing some light meals with Lori’s help. She was hesitant when the woman offered before because of the way she treated Harry but she never did anything offensive towards her family, if anything she had been kind and helpful. And from what she had seen, the worst things she did to Harry were some hateful glares and some accusations, though she didn’t know whether they were baseless accusations or not because she didn’t know the group’s history.

Honestly, she could understand why Lori was being so hateful towards Harry. The woman was scared because Harry was an unknown. Not only that, he had this power that could do who-knows-what and he was also immortal so if he was proved to be a danger, they couldn’t deal with him like her dad and Rick did to the men at the town and trying to would only backfire on them.

Maggie didn’t believe that Harry was that kind of man, though. Her dad had told them about Harry’s life story after the wizard had told him and his group and from what she heard, the man was nothing but a self-sacrificing hero. But not everyone saw him the same way. Some people, like Lori, only saw the power and feared and hated it and then blamed it for everything that went wrong. That was human nature, to hate what you feared. Maggie didn’t think it was her place to talk some sense into her, though. She was an outsider here. The last time an outsider tried to stick their nose into someone else’s business – also known as the “Barn Incident” – things fell apart and people got angry and reckless and, in the end, endangered everything they had worked hard for; normality and a safe haven.

She peeked at Lori while cutting the tomatoes. The woman was cutting the chicken. From the way she worked, Maggie bet she wasn’t a great cook like she pretended to be…or maybe she didn’t pretend and just thought she was good. Maggie mentally shook her head viciously. Now that was resentment on her friend’s behalf talking.

‘You’re not that kind of girl, Maggie. Let it go. It’s none of your business,’ she told herself. ‘Better go back to minding your own business.’

“Did Rick say anything to you about Glenn when they got back from town?” Maggie asked Lori.

Lori looked up at her. By this time, everyone knew Shane and Harry weren’t the only couple with problems. Well, they were an ex-couple and from the looks of things, Glenn and Maggie were almost there too. Though she didn’t know what their problem was, but she noticed it started not long after the boy came back from town with Rick, Hershel and Randall.

“Just that it had gotten pretty bad,” Lori said while continuously working.

“He’s not the same,” Maggie sighed, “He says he froze. Blames me. Says I got inside his head.”

“He came back, that’s what matters. Men have to do certain things, you know that, and they’re either gonna blame the little woman as the reason they do them or the reason they don’t,” Lori shrugged, “I’ll tell you something. What happens out there happens out there. And we…we’re just trying to keep it together till they get back.”

“Things were good. And maybe I…”

“Glenn’s a big boy. He makes his own choices. I mean you…” Lori tilted her head at her, “Do you have anything to apologize for?”

Maggie shook her head in denial.

“Tell him to man up and pull himself together. Just don’t say ‘man up.’ It never goes well,” Lori laughed and Maggie had to smile at that one.

She sighed. “Let me just get this to Beth.”

“You go on. I got it,” Lori said, taking the food tray with her. She found Beth lying on her bed, staring into space silently. “Knock, knock,” she said to gain her attention.

The girl sat up in a sitting position when she heard her enter the room. Lori placed the tray on her bedside table but Beth just sat there silently. Her eyes were rimmed with red. She still looked like a mess.

“How about this? You eat up all your food and **we’ll get you up and out of here and go take a walk. What do you say?” she tried to tempt the girl. “You’d do good to be outside.”**

“You’re pregnant?” Beth asked instead. Lori looked at her but before she could answer, the girl spoke again, “How could you do that?”

“Uh, I don’t really have a choice,” she replied.

“You think it’ll make a difference?” the girl asked again.

Lori hesitated because she knew it wouldn’t make much difference, whether it was a good difference or a bad one. In fact, she feared it would only make the situation worse for them, but she lied anyway, for both of their sake.

“Of course it will. You eat something,” Lori told her with a smile before leaving the room.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry returned to the camp to fetch his things from the tent. Hershel had told his family that he would stay with them and Patricia had already prepared a pillow and a blanket on the couch for him. When he got out of the tent, he found Daryl was watching him with a frown. He smiled at the other man.

“Where are the others?”

“On their guarding posts,” Daryl said, “The ‘leaders’ are out patrolling since walkers love to wander to this farm. What’s with the bag?”

“Hershel offered me his couch to sleep on if I feel more welcome with them than here,” Harry explained as he stepped closer to the man.

Daryl snorted. “Damn right you’re more welcome there. People here at the camp are slowly losing their minds.”

“I think you can crash on the floor next to my couch if I talk to Hershel,” Harry grinned teasingly.

“Sorry, but my cot’s more comfortable. Besides, if anyone has a problem with me they can talk to my wizard-made arrows first,” Daryl smirked.

Harry huffed out a laugh. “I gotta go back to the house. See you later at dinner?”

Daryl nodded. Ever since the barn incident, Harry and Daryl spent dinners together while the group still had their homely dinner ritual with the Greene’s. Maggie had invited him and Daryl but he didn’t want to cause any awkwardness with the group there and the redneck wasn’t about to leave him alone so they had dinner together around the campfire while everyone was inside the house. Moving to Hershel’s couch wasn’t about to change that routine.

Looking at the unreadable look Daryl had on his face, though, Harry couldn’t help but ask, “What?”

“You know, you can always stay with me,” Daryl said.

“You’re sharing a tent with T-Dog or Glenn, depends on whose turn it is for the night watch. Looking at the situation, I don’t think either of them would appreciate me staying with you guys.”

“I can always go to the highway and find some tents for us. I’m sure there are many left there. We can camp over there, away from these people,” Daryl said, nodded his head in the direction of where the ground was higher at one side of the farm. “It’s not like they’re gonna miss us. This people have been weird with me, too.”

“Weird?”

Daryl shrugged. “I might not be a wizard, but my blood still has magic so I’m still one of the freaks. Carol also knows we’re family. Dunno if she told others or not.”

“Oh, Daryl…I’m so sorry to hear that…” Harry said, feeling hurt on the older man’s behalf.

“What’s there to be sorry about? They’re just a bunch of idiots who left my brother behind. He lost his hand no thanks to them,” Daryl groused. “So what about that tent?”

Harry didn’t even hesitate when he answered. “All right. I’ll tell Hershel about it and thank him again for his offer. But are you sure you wanna camp over there? It’s beyond the protection of the wards.”

“So? Just tell the old man. I’m gonna find us a tent.”

“See ya later then,” Harry chuckled as he walked towards the farmhouse to find Hershel.

“Saw Andrea run to the house with the Greene girl earlier. That Lori bitch is there too,” Daryl called after him.

“Thanks for the warning. I’ll make sure to never turn my back on them,” Harry grinned when he got another amused snort from the man.

When he returned to the house, Harry frowned at the shouting he could hear from upstairs. He placed his duffel bag on the couch and was about to go upstairs when he saw Lori and Andrea in the kitchen looking tense. He bit his lips in indecision for a moment before approaching them.

“Anyone know what the shouting is about?” he asked tentatively.

Both women looked up at him and scowled. Andrea looked hesitant at first but answered reluctantly, “Beth stole a knife from the tray of food Lori brought her but refused to eat. Her intention was pretty clear. Lori told Maggie about it.”

“Oh…” Harry didn’t know what to say.

“What?” Lori asked at the look Andrea sent her.

“This could’ve been handled better,” Andrea said.

“How so?”

“You shouldn’t have taken the knife away,” Andrea said again, this time disapproval clear in her voice.

“Excuse me?” Lori asked again incredulously.

“And they said I’m a cold-hearted bastard who lets people die on purpose,” Harry drawled, earning two glares from the women.

Andrea looked back to Lori. “You were wrong, like Dale taking my gun. That wasn’t your decision. She has to choose to live on her own. She has to find her own reason.”

“Want me to tie a noose for her?” Lori asked sarcastically.

“If she’s serious, she’ll figure out a way,” Andrea argued.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t stop her or let her know that I care,” Lori shot back.

“That has nothing to do with it, Lori. She only has so many choices in front of her, and she believes the best one is suicide.”

“Like you before?” Harry asked at the same time Lori said, “That’s not an option.”

Andrea glared at him. “Of course it is. She doesn’t need to be yelled at or treated like a child.”

“She needs a loaded gun, right?” Lori mocked. “You’ll understand if I don’t send you in there.”

“I came through it,” Andrea snapped.

“And became such a productive member of the group,” Lori scoffed. “Let Maggie handle this her way.”

Andrea frowned. “I contribute. I help keep this place safe.”

“The men can handle this on their own. They don’t need your help,” Lori said.

“I’m sorry. What would you have me do?” Andrea mocked back.

“Oh, there’s plenty of work to go around,” Lori said again.

“Are you serious?” Andrea shot her an incredulous look.

“Wait a minute,” Harry interrupted. “Am I hearing this, right? We’re in the middle of zombie apocalypse, everything is falling apart and you’re arguing about…what? Men handling the guns while women should cook dinner and do the laundry? Seriously, Lori? Not only are you a racist, you’re sexist too?”

“She puts a burden on the rest of us, on me, and Carol, and Patricia and Maggie. Cooking and cleaning and caring for Beth. And you’re just the same, wizard. Instead of helping to keep this place safe, you just walk around being useless,” Lori spat before looking back at Andrea. “And you sit up on that RV working on your tan with a shotgun in your lap. You both are just the same. You don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

“No, I am on watch against walkers,” Andrea said angrily. “That is what matters, not fresh mint leaves in the lemonade.”

“We are providing stability. We are trying to create a life worth living,” Lori turned her nose up.

“Are you kidding me?” Andrea’s voice raised in disbelief. Harry couldn’t blame her.

“Look, I went after Rick. I took down two walkers. Don’t act like you’re the only one…”

“After crashing Maggie’s car! Ever apologize for that?”

“Crashing her…you’re insane.”

“No, you are,” Andrea cut her off. “And you’re the one that’s self-centered, the way you take it all for granted.”

Lori looked angry. She got in Andrea’s face and growled, “My husband is out there for the hundredth time, patrolling to keep this place safe. My son was shot. Don’t you dare tell me that I take this for granted!”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Harry said softly.

“What do you mean?” Lori glared.

“Your husband came back from the dead. Your son too. And now you’ve got a baby on the way,” Andrea pointed out. “ **The rest of us** have piled up our **losses,** me, Carol, Beth, even Harry lost his entire race! But you just keep on keeping.”

“We have all suffered…” Lori said weakly, starting to see her point.

“Playing house, acting like the queen bee, laying down rules for everybody but yourself,” Andrea said with a sneer and jeering in her voice. “You know what? Go ahead. Go in there and tell that little girl that everything’s gonna be okay, just like it is for you. She’ll get a husband, a son, baby…” A pause. “A boyfriend.”

Lori’s head snapped up to look at her so fast that Harry was kind of disappointed her neck didn’t snap. Okay, that was evil of him but…damn! That last part just ignited his anger and jealousy. The blonde-haired woman smirked at a speechless Lori.

“She just has to look on the bright side,” Andrea said mockingly.

Lori didn’t dare to say anything and Harry didn’t move as Andrea walked past him. When she was out of sight, Lori glared accusingly at him. He raised an eyebrow.

“What? I didn’t tell her anything. If you didn’t notice, she kinda hates me and avoids me lately. These people are sharp, you know. They can figure things out on their own,” Harry snorted. “Providing stability Merlin’s wrinkled arse. You’re the one who turns people on each other here because you don’t like the way things are and destroy the peace.”

“What? How dare you…!”

“I know about the ultimatum you gave Shane, you know,” Harry said again. “I can’t help but think…if that’s really his baby or Rick’s or you just don’t care and use your unborn baby to have it your way, to get everything you want… I have half a mind to shoot you with a paternity spell to find out who the father really is, you know. What do you say? It certainly would help to erase everyone’s doubt, right?”

Harry had never seen anyone turn that white so fast before. He left before she could say anything. He wasn’t about to let her have the last word. Call him spiteful, vindictive, whatever…because that was what he was nowadays when it came to one Lori Grimes.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Andrea knocked softly a couple of times before opening the door tentatively. Maggie and Beth were sitting on the bed. Both girls were sporting red and teary eyes. Maggie came to the door.

“Hey,” she said in greeting.

“You can’t sit on top of her,” Andrea half-whispered.

“I can’t leave her by herself,” Maggie said tiredly.

“You’re gonna have to. You’re exhausted. Go get some air. I’ll sit with her,” Andrea offered. Maggie hesitated. “Go ahead. Wash up, get something to eat. I got it.”

She still hesitated, but then she nodded at Andrea. “Okay. Thanks,” she said.

Andrea stepped aside to let her out with a smile. She entered the room and closed the door behind her. Sitting on an antique looking chair, Andrea did nothing but stare at Beth with a smile. The girl looked uncomfortable and a little sheepish at the same time.

“Aren’t you gonna say something?” Beth asked softly.

Andrea didn’t reply. After a pause, she walked over to the door on the other side of the room and opened it.

“Is that what you want?” Andrea asked.

Silence. She sighed softly when Beth didn’t look up.

“The pain doesn’t go away,” she said again “You just make room for it.”

Then she left her alone.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry went to Jimmy’s bedroom where a spare cot was pulled out for his latest patient, Randall. The boy was unconscious still. He had been keeping him in a deep sleep since day one, and only let him wake up when it was time to eat, together with a restroom break, because no one felt comfortable with a teenage thug around. They were afraid that he would take off when no one was looking, find his friends and bring them back to their little safe haven.

He checked on the boy’s injury. It had been healing nicely. They would be able to let him go the next day at the earliest or maybe the day after tomorrow at the latest. When he finished checking on the boy, he found Maggie on the porch with a plate of a half-eaten sandwich and a glass of orange juice.

“Hey,” Harry approached her. “I heard what happened. How’s Beth?”

“Crazy,” Maggie said.

Harry chuckled.

“I’m serious,” she frowned, “She wants to kill herself and she…she asked me to go with her…”

“Oh, Maggie…” he pulled her into a comforting hug.

“How could she say that? How could she…” she choked with emotions.

Harry shushed her. “It’s okay…shush…she’s just…she’s grieving. Everyone’s been there. She’s only experiencing it now because your father had been trying to protect you all this time. It just…reality finally sinking in and she’s grieving. She’ll come through it. Believe me. You just have to be strong for her.”

“Did you ever think about doing it, Harry?”

“Sometimes…but then I remembered all of the people who sacrificed their lives so I could live, my parents, my godfather, even my most hated professor and many others…and I change my mind every time,” he replied. “Though I don’t really need suicide. Somehow, I just keep finding myself dying one way or another.”

“And then coming back,” Maggie said.

“Yes. And then coming back,” he chuckled.

Maggie looked up at him. “It must be really hard for you…”

“I got use to it,” he shrugged.

“How old are you really?”

Harry looked at her amused. He decided to humor her. “I’m thirty.”

“You don’t look thirty.”

“Well, part of being an immortal is being ageless. Imagine if I live until I’m a thousand and keep aging,” Harry shuddered. “I stopped aging somewhere in my early twenties.”

“That…would make you the enemy of all of us women,” Maggie smirked.

Harry laughed. “Yeah…hey, maybe that’s why Lori hates me so much,” he said in good humor.

Maggie giggled. “How many times have you died before?”

“That’s an unusual question. All throughout my life? Well…uh…” Harry tried to remember, “I dunno…six or maybe seven times? Or is it more than that? I don’t really remember.” Maggie raised an eyebrow at him. “What? It’s not like I’m really counting. Who counts how many times they die anyway?”

“Good point,” Maggie conceded. “Can you…can you bring people back?”

All of the humor in Harry fled at the question. “No,” he answered seriously. “Even if I could, I wouldn’t do it.”

“Why? Your people are extinct. Wouldn’t you want to bring them back if you could?” Maggie asked again.

“There are things like natural order. In my journey to look for some answers, I’ve learned that you don’t mess with death. It would bring nothing but misery and disaster everywhere. Just look at Voldemort, the terrorist my people faced. He feared death so much that he tried everything to make himself immortal. He didn’t die when he was supposed to and his continued existence brought nothing but chaos and death to others,” Harry explained solemnly.

“Another example is my ancestors. The Peverells defied Death. According to legend, they cheated Death and now look at me, paying for their ‘gifts from Death’. There are consequences when you cheat Death and those consequences are severe. I saw a girl live when she was supposed to die from her cancer. She suddenly became healthy. The reaper that had been hovering over her for months just disappeared. It didn’t make any sense.”

“What happened?”

“Well, I got curious. So I investigated it. Turned out, her father made a deal with a being that I won’t tell you about to save his daughter. Because she miraculously lost her cancer, her doctor left the hospital early for the first time in months with his fiancé who happened to be a brain surgeon at the same hospital and had always been waiting for him faithfully to go home together. Half of the nurses weren’t needed because the girl didn’t need so much attention anymore. They were just waiting for a further check-up the next day. So the nurses went home for the night. One of them got into a car accident right in front of the hospital. She was bleeding and everything but the most fatal injury was the one on her brain. She needed an immediate surgery, but where was the surgeon?”

“She went home with her fiancé, the little girl’s doctor…” Maggie said in realization.

“So the nurse died. The nurse happened to be a newlywed. Her husband came running into the hospital in less than an hour from the other side of the city after he was informed about the accident, just in time to see his wife die but not enough time to say goodbye. Two hours later, the husband was brought back to the hospital because he was in a drunken driving accident. He died on the table. The other car he crashed into had three victims inside. A father, a mother, and a little ten-year-old boy. They died on scene.”

Maggie gasped.

“The next day, the hospital received another patient. Nurse Morgan went home to find her house being robbed. She was left with several stab wounds for hours before her neighbor checked on her because the open door looked suspicious. It was touch and go for her. For a while, we thought she wouldn’t make it. She never recovered the motor functions in her right arm, half of her liver had to be removed, she got wicked looking scars and she had to resign from her job. I heard the robber was caught after that. Apparently, he had been watching her for a while now and got her schedule. She wasn’t supposed to be home that night. It was supposed to be an easy in and out robbery.”

“All of that because a little girl lived?” Maggie asked in disbelief.

“All of that and more,” Harry said. “Before all of these tragedies, there were no reapers around those people that died that night. I know that because I have my reaper radar active all the time to help me with my job in the hospital. That means I can see reapers everywhere I go and I can sense it when someone’s dying and about to leave the living world. That girl felt wrong to me after her recovery. She made me uneasy, my skin scrawled whenever she was near and I had to restrain myself from lashing out at her.”

“Why?” Maggie gasped again.

“Because she wasn’t supposed to live and everything about her felt wrong and it made me want to correct that wrongness. But there was only one way to do that. I was so relieved when she was released a week later. That girl…wherever she went, she would bring nothing but chaos and disaster around her. Because she was an anomaly. Her very existence defied the laws of life and death. When a reaper comes for you, you go with it, peacefully or not it’s up to you, but you don’t deny Death. The only death that could be changed is the one where free will is involved.”

“Free will?”

“It’s something that God granted to mankind,” he grinned cheekily before turning serious again. “And when I say involves free will, I mean death by free will, meaning suicide. When it comes to suicide, death tends to be uncertain. A reaper would come when someone decides to off themselves but if they change their mind, before it’s too late, the reaper would leave.”

“And if it’s too late?”

“Then they die or, depending on the suicide method, slip into a long, long coma until the day they’re supposed to die or if they’re lucky, they would wake up before that. But that rarely happens, the coma I mean. Mostly they either die or live.”

“Is that why you didn’t help the previous members of your group before?” Maggie asked carefully.

Harry’s look turned painful and guilty. “No. With Jim, yes, that was the reason. As was Jenner. With Amy and the others at the camp back then…it came as a surprise. It was the first night I joined the group after months of being accompanied by nothing but walkers. I let my guard down because of my immortality and became careless.”

“Wait, if the girl was an anomaly, what about you…oh, was that why you said that? That day after you helped Beth with your potions, after Lori confronted you…you said…”

“Yeah, that’s why,” he said with a wry smile.

Maggie looked uneasy because of this.

“Don’t worry, Maggie,” Harry said. “I…I’m planning to leave. Don’t tell anyone, though.”

She looked at him in surprise. “But…”

“I don’t want to take that risk anymore…after everything that happened…” Harry lowered his eyes. “Besides…I had already planned to leave before, only I found a reason to stay. Now that I’ve lost that reason…”

“Is it because of Shane? I noticed things have been bad between you two. You wanna talk about it?” she asked in concern.

“I think everyone noticed that,” Harry smiled sadly, “It’s the same with you and Glenn. He thinks loving me is a bad thing.”

“Oh Harry…”

This time, it was Maggie who pulled him into comforting hug. The wizard returned the hug, taking comfort while he could because this probably was the last time he would get it. They pulled away after awhile.

“I better go back to Beth,” Maggie said, “Don’t want to leave her too long. Andrea’s with her but still…”

“Okay. Leave the dishes to me,” Harry said when Maggie reached for the plate and glass, “Just go. I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks,” she grinned before taking off.

Harry took the dishes to the kitchen. To his surprise, Lori was still there. She glared at him and stomped off. He shrugged and just washed the dishes when he heard shouting from upstairs and something breaking. He ran towards the stairs and he could hear Maggie shouting for him from Beth’s room. He climbed the stairs two at a time and made a beeline to the room. Maggie and Lori were inside.

“HARRY!”

“Maggie?”

“Beth’s inside with broken glass!” she said tugging urgently at the bathroom’s doorknob.

Harry could see Lori moving from the corner of his eyes to where she found a fire poker, but Harry just waved his hand as he strode inside and the door slammed open with a powerful force. Maggie didn’t even look surprised, instead she immediately ran to her sister’s side. Lori looked at him in annoyance but Harry didn’t care as his attention turned to the bleeding wrist Beth was sporting and then his eyes glowed.

“I’m sorry,” Beth whimpered.

“Oh my God…” Lori looked at the wound in horror.

“Harry!” Maggie looked scared.

“Nothing. No reaper. It’s okay,” Harry assured her and turned to Beth. “I take it you’ve changed your mind?”

She nodded and then cried. “I’m so sorry…”

“Come here then,” Harry guided them towards the bed.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Andrea ran as quickly as she could towards the house after she heard what happened. She slowed to a stop in front of the house just as Maggie stormed out to meet her. Lori followed her but stopped at the door.

“Where were you?” Maggie demanded coldly.

“I heard. Is she all right?” Andrea asked.

“She would be if you had stayed with her. Where were you?” she asked again.

“How bad is she?”

“It wasn’t deep.”

Andrea paused to think. “She wants to live. She made her decision.”

Fury lit in Maggie’s eyes at her words. “She tried to kill herself!”

“No, she didn’t.”

“Harry’s treating her right now! With the very magic you deem useless! My father’s in there hovering over her worriedly. He doesn’t need the stress!”

“She’ll live.”

Maggie stopped her when she tried to walk towards the house. Andrea looked surprised. “Stay away from her,” Maggie said. “From both of us. Don’t you dare step foot inside this house again.”

Then she turned away and strode into the house, leaving a shocked Andrea behind. Lori gripped her arm before she went inside.

“I’m not gonna say she was right, but Beth has made her choice. She wants to live and now she knows it,” Lori told her. “And sometimes you have to cross the line.”

Maggie just hummed at her emotionlessly and walked inside. Clearly, she dismissed what Lori said. Andrea looked at Lori who didn’t know what to do or say. They were still at odds and it was clear in Lori’s eyes that she also blamed this on her. In the end, she nodded and turned around. A hurt look crossed her face and she held back the tears as she kept on walking farther away from the house.

**~ To be continued ~**


	19. Chapter 18

Harry looked up from where he had just finished healing Beth. Hershel was fussing over his youngest.

“So she’ll be okay, right?” Hershel asked worriedly, eyeing Beth’s wrist like the wound would open up again if he took his eyes off.

“Yes. Don’t worry, Hershel. It’s fully healed now,” Harry assured him.

“Thank you,” Hershel sighed in relief. His shoulders slumped as the tension left him.

“Thanks,” Beth mumbled softly, eyes firmly on the table’s surface. It was obvious she felt guilty and ashamed right now.

“There’s something I wanna tell you about, though,” Harry said to Hershel.

“What is it?” Hershel suddenly looked alarmed again.

“Nothing bad and not about Beth either. Relax, Hershel. You’re going to give yourself a heart attack,” Harry advised, making the older man slumped in relief again.

“Right. Sorry. So, what is it that you want to talk about?”

“It’s about your offer. I change my mind and have to refuse because…I just find out that Daryl’s been singled out by the others too and he offered to camp with me away from the others. I don’t wanna leave him alone out there in case he’s determined to make his own campsite anyway, so…”

Hershel nodded in understanding. “All right. I understand. It’s better for him to not be alone out there at night at a time like this.”

“I really have to thank you for your offer, though. It was very generous of you,” Harry said, thankful and regretful at the same time since he had to refuse.

“I’m just trying to do the right thing, Harry. And you’ve been helping my girls, too, so I kind of owe you,” Hershel smiled which Harry returned with his own.

Just then, Maggie walked in with a cold fury in her eyes that warmed up a bit when she saw her father and sister. Lori walked in moments later. Harry glanced out the window just in time to see Andrea walking away with her shoulders slumped dejectedly. He knew Maggie had gone to confront Andrea about her whereabouts when she was supposed to keep an eye on Beth. Harry left the table to approach her.

“What is it?” he asked softly.

Maggie glanced at her family before deciding that this was something her family didn’t need to know because she decided to whisper her reply, “She left her alone on purpose. She wanted Beth to choose on her own whether to live or die. She left her knowing she was going to hurt herself. How could she?”

Harry winced at the fury in her voice and eyes. Her entire body was trembling with rage. He patted her shoulder gently, offering comfort and understanding at her rage. But on the inside, Harry couldn’t really blame Andrea for doing what she did either because, in a way, she was right. Beth had to choose. It was just the method that left something to be desired.

“I’m gonna take a walk. Why don’t you go be with your father and sister? They’d appreciate the comfort you can offer,” Harry said.

Maggie nodded.

“Better lose the angry look first, though. Don’t wanna Beth to feel cornered now, do we?”

Maggie took a deep breath and released it. Feeling calmer, she smiled in gratitude at Harry. He patted her in comfort once again before leaving.

Harry found Andrea on top of the RV, taking post on the camp. Her eyes and nose were rimmed red. The confrontation with Maggie had clearly affected her. He wondered what was said between them but, thinking back at Maggie’s fury, it was probably some pretty hurtful things. Harry bit his lips, thinking about whether it was wise to approach her or not. He was pretty sure that any comfort from him would be unwelcome at this point.

“So, you gonna say something or are you just gonna stand there looking stupid?”

Harry looked up in surprise to find Andrea looking at him in annoyance. He opened his mouth but no words came out and then closed it again. She snorted at his intelligent response before looking away.

“She’s fine,” Harry told her.

She stole a glance at him from the corner of her eyes.

“Beth, I mean,” he clarified. “I thought you might want to know.”

She nodded stiffly, “Thanks.”

“I know others might have a problem with what I’m going to say, but I understand what you were trying to do with Beth,” Harry said, earning another look from Andrea. “You didn’t mean to get her hurt on purpose. You just want her to live for herself, because it was her choice. You didn’t want her to feel bitter and angry at being forced to live by someone else, like with Dale and you before.”

She didn’t say anything.

“It’s just…the method that you let her use to choose was the problem. Maybe if you considered a lighter touch, others would understand,” Harry suggested, unknowingly throwing back Andrea’s words to Shane from a week ago.

She glared at him, but there was also guilt in her eyes that made Harry know that she understood what he meant and that she was a little wrong with the way she handled Beth. Harry smiled at her. Andrea was the type to own up to her own mistakes, even though she did so begrudgingly sometimes but she always took responsibility for it.

“I’ll just be going then,” Harry said after a short silence, but he only took a couple of steps when he heard her again.

“Why didn’t you save her?”

Harry turned around in confusion. “What?”

“Amy,” she said.

Harry was surprised; he didn’t think that she would ask him that.

“You promised her to protect me, but you didn’t try to protect her at all,” she accused, pain and bitterness in her voice. “She wanted to live more than me…she had more hope than me…”

“I’m sorry…I didn’t expect anything to happen so suddenly…it had been a long time since I did magic freely before that day…blending in with muggles for years, sometimes I forget…Maybe it sounds like an excuse to you, but it’s the truth,” Harry paused, “And even if we had more time at the time to do something…if it was her time to go, I still wouldn’t have done anything…just like I did with Jim.”

She looked shocked and then angry at his confession. “Why? Because we don’t have magic like you so we’re not worthy enough for you to save? Is keeping your secret is more important than someone else’s life?!”

“No. If that was so, then I wouldn’t have saved Carl.”

“You saved him only after Rick and Shane promised to keep your secret! Don’t think we don’t know about that! Lori told us all about it! You were willing to let him die if they didn’t make that promise!”

“He was never in any danger of dying!” Harry snapped, his temper flaring at the mention of Lori and Shane in the same sentence. “It wasn’t his time! I only made them promise to buy myself some time, but Carl was never in any danger of dying! It was nowhere near his time to die and it still isn’t!”

“What?” she looked surprised at his outburst and confused.

Harry took a deep breath. “I admit that there were times I let people die…but that’s because it was their time. I can know when a person is about to die and no, before you say anything, I’m not the one who decides when people die or not. That’s above my pay grade. But I can tell you that no one can cheat Death. There are consequences for cheating Death. It could mean disaster or even death for others around the cheater. I mean, look at me,” he said, his voice breaking at the end.

Andrea looked at him but still couldn’t really comprehend what he was saying.

“There are things you don’t know or understand but, know this, if there’s a chance to save someone, I’d do it in a heartbeat and if I can’t, I’d try my damn best to make it easier and painless for them. Why do you think I become a healer? A doctor?”

She looked away from him, not because she dismissed him but because she was trying to contemplate what he was saying. It was much better than before. These days, Andrea took her time to think things through instead of holding onto her stubborn opinion. She was still stubborn most of the time, but she was also willing to think and consider, unlike when she was still blinded by the grief of her sister’s death.

“And I didn’t make that promise before Amy died. I made the promise that I’d try to protect you, to her ghost, right after she died. And I know I’m not perfect, that’s why I only promised that I would try. You can’t save someone that doesn’t want to be saved after all.”

Again, Andrea looked at him in shock. She didn’t say anything more, though, as he walked away.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane cursed his luck as he did his patrol with Rick by his side. He had spent most of the week avoiding the man as much as he could. Him and Harry. In turn, Lori avoided him just as much when all he wanted to do was to make sure she was healthy and got all the comfort she needed for her pregnancy.

Maybe it’s karma, he thought.

Granted, most people in the group avoided each other now and almost all of them avoided Harry and he avoided everyone else except the Greene’s. What? No, he didn’t watch him. He just happened to…notice. The first couple of days after the barn incident were hard for everyone. The tension was thick enough that you could cut it with a knife and some of them had their own personal problems. It was getting better as the days passed and everyone cooled off, though. But still, nothing was resolved.

Shane and Rick swept the forest for stray walkers since they happened to stumble into the woods and near the barn quite often, hence why Otis was often in the forest. The man and T-Dog were doing rounds on the other side of the forest right now. They had handguns on them but mostly they used knives and blades as to not attract more walkers with the gunshot sounds.

He wished he got to do patrol with Otis or T-dog, instead. But, no, he had to be stuck with Rick because the man sent the other two off before Shane even arrived at the “Meeting Spot”. They usually didn’t start anything before he arrived. This had Rick’s smell all over it. Rick was doing this on purpose probably because he wanted to talk with him. About what, he had ideas, but none of them were pleasant or welcome at all.

“So…” Rick started after a tense silence.

Here we go.

“What’s going on between you and Harry?”

Yep, not pleasant or welcome at all.

“What do you mean?”

“I notice you guys don’t share a tent anymore and you seem to avoid each other. Trouble in paradise?” Rick asked, concern in his voice.

“It’s nothing,” Shane mumbled evasively.

“Really?” Rick raised an eyebrow, “You know you can talk to me if you want, right, Shane?”

“Really, there’s nothing to talk about. Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

“Who else is asking?”

“No one,” Shane snapped.

Rick exhaled softly. “All right. If you don’t wanna talk about Harry, then fine. It’s your business. How about we talk about my business instead?”

“Yeah? And what is that?”

“You know that I know about you and Lori having an affair before my return,” Rick held up his hand to stop Shane when he was about to speak, “And I know you both thought I was dead… I get what happened. When I figured it out, and I figured it out pretty quickly, I wanted to break your jaw, let you choke on your teeth. But I didn’t. That wasn’t weakness. It took everything… But it’s over now. My family is mine. No matter what happened before.”

And in his tone that Shane could hear it. Rick intended to claim the baby as his. They had been avoiding the elephant in the room all week and now it was time to settle some things.

“That is my wife. That is my son. That is my unborn child. I will stay alive to keep them alive. Now, the only way you and me can keep on is you accepting everything I just said right here, right now, and we move forward with that understanding,” Rick looked into his eyes.

Shane swallowed. He looked away when he couldn’t find any words to say.

“You already have something good going on for you, Shane… You have Harry. Or at least, you had. Why did you screw that up? For what? You were happy.”

Shane could feel the guilt hanging over him, but there was also anger because Rick didn’t understand. “What I do with Harry or without him is none of your business, Rick.”

“It is if you’re going to mess with me!” Rick said heatedly.

“I’m not going to mess with you or your damn marriage, Rick. Dammit! You know damn well the baby’s mine! I just want to be part of his or her life!” Shane snapped.

“And you’re going to! Just like you do with Carl! Isn’t that enough?”

“No, that’s not enough! Carl’s not mine but this baby is! I won’t be a godfather to my own baby! Dammit, Rick, wouldn’t you want the same if you’re in my place?!”

Rick flinched at the question because he knew he would want the same if they positions were switched but he also knew that things wouldn’t be the same if Shane claimed the baby. It would be a glaring reminder of what had transpired and the resentment that was caused by it would tear them all apart sooner or later.

“I’m going to be a father to my own baby, Rick. I’m going to help raise my baby, protect him or her…I’m not going to trust anyone else to do that,” Shane scoffed when he saw the offended look Rick sent him, “Seriously, I’m the only one who has been making the right decisions lately. The one who knows what’s best and had the guts to make the right decisions no matter how hard it is when all you wanted to do was run around in the woods, risking everyone looking for a dead girl because of your guilt! You think I’m going to trust that you can protect my kid?”

Rick looked away in shame and anger at the reminder.

“It could still be my baby,” Rick argued.

“Maybe. But how sure are you about that?” Shane challenged.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

T-Dog and Otis were walking back to the farm after their round. They were going to change shift with Glenn and Daryl. Otis returned to the house through the back door because it was the closest but not before waving at T-Dog signaling his departure. The black man just nodded in return. The patrol was kind of awkward between them because they almost never talked before, mostly because Otis kept disappearing and now that everyone knew what he was doing all this time, it was kind of like walking on eggshells. T-Dog knew that Otis probably did what he did because Hershel insisted but still knowing the man put a bunch of walkers in a barn next to their camp made everyone wary of him. Otis probably noticed this too because he had been sporting a guilty look all the time. He kind of felt sorry for the man because of it.

T-Dog walked around the house towards the camp but stopped when he saw Harry standing in a few yards in front of the house with his back to him. The man had his head tilted back and T-Dog guessed he had his eyes closed too. The air around him was thick with something, a tension he couldn’t explain, the air was…crackling, he couldn’t another word to explain it. T-Dog couldn’t help but feel wary and suspicious. He didn’t know what he was feeling these days about Harry. After some thinking, he knew the man wasn’t evil but he also didn’t think he could trust him.

He narrowed his eyes at the oblivious self-proclaimed immortal wizard. His grip on his weapon tightened but he didn’t raise it towards the man. He jumped in surprise, though, when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around with his weapon aimed.

“Whoa! Calm down!” Dale stepped back hurriedly with his arms raised.

T-Dog exhaled in relief. “Don’t surprise me like that!”

“What, did you think I was a walker? You would hear the growling first before one could get close to you,” Dale raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t be so sure about that,” T-Dog grumbled.

“I saw you watching Harry from over there,” Dale pointed to a nearby tree with his chin.

“Yeah. What’s he doing? He’s been standing there doing nothing for…” T-Dog looked back at the wizard who was still unaware he was being watched, “I don’t know how long.”

“He’s been like that for about ten minutes or so,” Dale said, “I think he should be finished in another five minutes.”

“Finished with what? You know what he’s doing?”

“Yeah. He told me about it the day after he told us about his magic,” Dale nodded. “He’s recharging the protection wards around the house and the camp.”

“Protection what?” T-Dog looked incredulous.

“Something like a barricade or a shield to protect us or at least warn us if something or someone with harmful intentions is approaching us,” Dale explained. “Harry said he’s no Ward Master. I guess it’s a profession concerning these kinds of things, but he can raise a basic ward to help secure our safety, only he has to recharge the power every twenty-four hours. That’s what he’s doing right now, channeling his magic to power the ward or something like that.”

T-Dog looked surprised. “He’s been doing this for a week, now? All this time?”

“I think he’s been doing this since before we found out about his magic,” Dale shrugged. “It drains him every time he recharges the ward, so I always wait nearby to help him afterwards.”

“How come no one knows about this?” T-Dog asked.

“Well, everyone’s been busy. We’ve got our own duties. Not to mention that you guys have been avoiding him lately,” Dale looked at him in disapproval.

T-Dog looked away guiltily. “Can you really blame us?”

“You want me to say no? But you’re willing to blame him? Why? He didn’t do anything…”

“But that’s it, right? He didn’t do anything! So many things could’ve been avoided!” T-Dog argued.

“And it’s his job to do…what exactly? Protect us all? Doing supply runs while we laze around since he’s immune to walkers? Magic everything to perfection? Correct everything that went wrong with our lives? Why should he be the one doing all these things?”

“What use is he if…”

“So we’re judging people on their usefulness now?” Dale interrupted again. “Then I guess there are quite many useless people around here, right? After all, no one but Rick and Harry went into the woods for Sophia when we were in the highway. Speaking of which, Sophia was also pretty useless in keeping quiet or waiting for help when she was supposed to, right? Or how Carl inconvenienced everyone by getting shot just because he wanted to see a deer? Or how Carol did nothing but mope around when her girl was missing and then blame everyone around her when they couldn’t find her after risking their lives to look for her? I’ve been pretty useless too regarding all of that, haven’t I? Not to mention Lori’s going to be a hindrance with her pregnancy. Let’s start shunning all of the useless people, then, hm?”

T-Dog looked stunned. “I…”

“I think…you’re blaming him not because he did something wrong or did nothing, but because he’s different than us. Like how easy it was to blame Rick when he failed to be the perfect leader for us. Only, this time Harry’s the perfect scapegoat because he’s much more different. I think, secretly, no matter how open-minded we all acted when we found out about him, most of us have been waiting for something to go wrong so we can make him a scapegoat and we snatched up the first chance we got. You don’t believe me? Well, I see everyone has forgotten that Shane has been keeping secrets too, seems he’s been forgiven but Harry isn’t even though it’s the same secret. Glenn and I also kept secret about the barn before we told you guys about it and no one even blamed us. Hershel and his family have been forgiven too. But not Harry. Why?”

“It’s…” T-Dog couldn’t think of any good answer and he realized with shame that everything Dale said was right.

“I’m telling you why, because he’s different. Just like how everyone changed their attitude around Daryl after finding out he’s also got magic in his blood. They’re subtle changes and you guys probably don’t realize it yourself, but it’s still there. It’s because they’re different, right? The thing is, except for Lori, you guys have been hypocritical about it,” Dale said bluntly.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, old man,” Daryl said as he walked past them with his crossbow in hands. He was glaring at T-Dog.

“Where’s Glenn, Daryl? It’s both of your turn to patrol, right?” Dale called after him.

“In the house. There’s been an incident. Besides, I do better when working alone,” Daryl waved back without turning around.

“What incident?” Dale frowned.

Daryl just shrugged as he walked further away towards the forest. Dale sighed and turned back to T-Dog. The man had a thoughtful look on his face, his eyes shining with guilt and shame.

“You said…he’s been doing this, draining his magic to protect us, all week? Maybe even before that?”

“Yeah…” Dale said slowly.

“I guess…we’ve been pretty unfair towards Harry, huh?” T-Dog sighed. “I don’t know if I could trust him, though…what with him always keeping secrets…”

“Everyone’s entitled to their own secrets, T-Dog. Just because he’s keeping secrets, doesn’t mean he’s not trying to help. Just look at him now,” Dale gestured towards Harry only for both of them to see him collapse to his hands and knees on the ground.

Dale immediately ran towards the younger man with a surprised T-Dog in tow. The old man grabbed Harry by the arm and helped him to his feet.

“You okay there, Harry?” Dale asked in concern.

Harry blinked with a dizzy look on his face, “Yeah, I’m fine, Dale. Thank you…”

“Come on, let’s sit on the porch for a bit, all right?” Dale guided him towards the house.

Harry chuckled as he sat on the steps. “I’m fine, Dale. Don’t you worry yourself about it…”

“You sure you’re all right, though?” T-Dog asked, making his presence known.

Harry was startled and looked at him in surprise as if he just realized he was there, which actually was the truth. He smiled uneasily at the man.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied.

T-Dog noticed his uneasiness. He shifted on his feet awkwardly, feeling guiltier at the wariness Harry showed him. It was weird since he could honestly say they were friends before, teasing each other and all without care, almost like brothers. God, he really fucked up, didn’t he?

“Well, then…I’ll go and store the weapons. See you guys later,” he nodded at them and excused himself.

Harry looked at Dale questioningly after the man left. The older man just smiled at him and shrugged.

“He has many things in his mind right now. And I just gave him a lot more to think about,” Dale said.

Harry hummed.

“So you’re feeling better now?”

“Yes, the dizziness has passed,” Harry smiled at him. “This ward is just too big for an untrained ward master like me…I think I’ve to do research for something better and less draining.”

“Yeah, we have time, but you better do that. No point to exhaust yourself when there’s no need for it,” Dale shrugged. “So, Daryl said there was an incident. Do you know what it was about?”

The smile turned into a somber expression. “It’s Beth… Lori found her stealing the knife from the food tray…” Dale gasped. “She told Maggie. They got into a fight. Andrea didn’t like the way things were handled. Maggie took a break and left Beth under Andrea’s watch but she left her knowing the girl would try something because she wanted her to make the choice on her own about whether to live or not.”

“Oh dear…” Dale paled.

“Yeah…fortunately the wound’s not too deep and she now knows that she wants to live. She’s all right now. Maggie’s furious with Andrea, though…”

“Yeah, I can imagine. Christ, what was she thinking?” Dale paused and then sighed. “This must have something to do with how I interfered with her back in Atlanta, huh?”

Harry just patted his hand. “I think she already got over that one…She just wanted Beth to have a chance to make her own choice instead of having it being forced onto her. It’s just her method that needs improvement.”

“Yeah…”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Glenn hovered worriedly and uncertainly in the next room as he watched Maggie comforting her sister. He had heard about the incident from earlier. He happened to be nearby when they informed Hershel about it. He could see Maggie’s red-rimmed eyes and red nose. She must have been worried sick with all of this and his attitude towards their relationship, if there was still one, really didn’t help. It wasn’t Maggie’s fault anyway. He was just being a coward and now he felt guilty about it.

He almost flinched when Maggie suddenly locked eyes with him. She narrowed her eyes and looked away. Glenn sighed and walked out of the house, head bowed and shoulders sagged.

“Glenn? What’s the matter?”

The young man looked up and found Harry sitting on the steps with Dale standing close to him. Dale had a worried look on his face while Harry looked curious.

“What?” he asked.

“You look down. Beth’s all right, right?” Dale asked.

“Oh, yeah, she’s fine. Don’t worry,” he quickly assured. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Just talking,” Harry smiled.

The guy always smiled, Glenn thought. No matter what the situation, he always tried to smile, even though sometimes it was forced because the situation was tough. Glenn felt a pang of guilt when he remembered the situation in the group right now. Almost everyone had been hostile towards the man and he was trying to be strong about it while Glenn was too busy drowning in his own love drama and losing.

“Speaking of talking, looks like you can use a talk,” Harry commented.

Glenn grimaced. “That obvious, huh?”

“Probably,” Harry grinned, “It’s mostly because Maggie’s been complaining about you for the last week.”

“She told you?” Now Glenn was embarrassed.

Harry shrugged. “What can I say? It’s not like I can tell her to stop.”

Dale chuckled.

“It’s nothing,” Glenn said quickly. “I just…I guess I’m just being a coward….” He sighed.

Harry patted the spot beside him and Glenn didn’t reject the offer. He sat down with a sigh.

“What about you? I’m sorry I’ve been distant…I know it’s a hard time for you with the group right now,” Glenn said.

“Oh, it’s okay,” Harry quickly looked away, but Glenn caught the sadness on his face anyway. The youngest of the trio exchanged a look with the oldest over the wizard’s head.

“It’s not okay. I know everyone was high on emotions at the time but it’s been a week and they’ve been treating Sophia’s death like it was your fault when we all know it’s not,” Glenn said. Dale looked relieved at his words.

“Glenn’s right,” Dale said, nodding firmly.

“But I still endangered everyone by letting them go into the forest for nothing,” Harry said.

“No, you didn’t do that. It was Rick who did that and everyone else volunteered. All you did was keep quiet about what everyone else already thought,” Glenn said. “I bet everyone already realized the chance of Sophia still being alive was slim to none at best. They were out there by their own choice, so they have no right to blame you for anything.”

Harry smiled gratefully at him. “Thanks, Glenn…”

Glenn returned his smile hesitantly. “Harry…I know it’s been hard between you and the group right now…I also noticed…you know…you and Shane…”

“You and everybody else,” Harry snorted bitterly. Glenn and Dale couldn’t help but wince at that.

“Yeah…that’s why…I know it might be hard to stay…in your tent…you can stay with me if you want…”

“Aren’t you bunking with T-Dog and Daryl right now? Daryl’s okay. But I don’t think T-Dog would like that; especially if it’s not his turn to stand guard at night,” Harry asked with bittersweet amusement.

Glenn winced. “You’re right…Sorry…”

It was true. Glenn, Daryl and T-Dog shared a tent and even though there was only enough space for two, there was no problem because every night, one or two of them took a turn to stand guard to protect the camp while the others slept.

“Don’t worry about it. Hershel already offered me his couch but I refused because Daryl also offered to share a tent with me. In fact, he’s already built our own little campsite away from everyone. Thank you for the offer, though. I really appreciate it,” Harry smiled again, sweetly. The man was really cute, Glenn had to admit it. If he were gay, he would definitely tap that. What was Shane thinking throwing a guy like Harry away?

“Daryl moved out too? Why?” Glenn asked bewildered.

“You must be too wrapped up with your problem with Maggie to not notice, but Daryl said everyone’s been different with him too because he’s a squib,” Harry said.

“I’m not,” Dale frowned.

“Of course not. I don’t think he really meant everyone, but some of them are. I bet Lori’s the most obvious one. And Carol knows that Daryl and I are related through the Black Family, we found out the night Lori went off on her own, and she has her own boon with me. Besides, Daryl probably said that just so I would agree to camp with him,” Harry quickly clarified.

Dale nodded. “Jesus Christ…how did things get so messed up?”

“Yeah, like we don’t have enough drama already,” Glenn sighed.

“Yeah, about that…how about you and Maggie? You said you were just being a coward. Are you gonna stop now? Because I’m telling you, the way you’re acting really hurts Maggie,” Harry said and Glenn had to wince again.

“I know…I really want to fix things with her but I don’t know how,” Glenn moaned miserably. “Every time our eyes met, it was like she could freeze me into the new Ice Age and whatever words I’d prepared just disappeared from my mind…”

Dale laughed again. Glenn almost forgot he was there.

“Well, you need to man up before it’s too late, Glenn. There are plenty of single guys in our group, you see. Just so you know, I had two girlfriends before. And the way Maggie’s been around me lately…” Harry teased, earning another laugh from Dale and a glare from Glenn.

“Don’t even think about it,” Glenn snapped. Harry quickly lifted his hands up in surrender with a big smile on his face.

“Then like Harry said, you better man up quickly, Glenn,” Dale kept chortling heartily.

“I know you guys are right, but it’s not that easy,” Glenn whined.

“Maybe,” Harry shrugged, “But I know how she feels, Glenn. It really hurts when the person you love thinks that loving you back is wrong and a mistake.”

Glenn looked at his clenched fists, his mouth thinned into a line. He looked up determinedly. “I’ll try my best then. I don’t wanna hurt her like that.”

Harry clapped him on the back.

“Well, that being said, I better get back to the camp,” Dale said, adjusting his hat, “It’s almost time for me to exchange shifts with Andrea.”

“Oh, it’s time for me and Daryl to patrol too,” Glenn said getting up.

“He already went on his patrol,” Dale told him. “Said he prefers doing it alone. But I think he just wanted to give you the chance to check on Maggie. He said something about Beth’s incident.”

“I’m gonna apologize and thank him later, then,” Glenn grimaced.

“And I’m gonna prepare dinner!” Harry clapped his hands, “It’s my turn tonight and I’m getting tired with the squirrels Daryl’s so fond of.”

“So you’re not gonna join us again…?” Glenn looked disappointed.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. The others still don’t like me. Hershel has been generous with his offer to stay with him and with Beth’s incident, the least I can do to thank him is not to make dinner awkward and tense. His family doesn’t need more stress,” Harry shrugged. “Besides, I don’t wanna bail on Daryl.”

Glenn shuffled on his feet guiltily. “Can I join you guys?”

Harry smiled at him knowingly. “Thank you, but I think you better think of something to say to Maggie at dinner. The faster you fix the situation the better, right?”

The younger man’s expression fell when he realized how close the time for dinner was. “I guess you’re right…”

“See you guys later, then,” Harry jogged away with a wave.

“Later,” Dale and Glenn waved back.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Everyone gathered around the dining room, preparing dinner and the table. There were some awkward tensions among the group members, Maggie and Glenn, Rick and Shane, and some others. Most of them especially tensed for various reasons when Harry came into the room. Maggie smiled at him and handed him a tray.

“This is Randall’s dinner, Harry,” she told him.

“I’ll get it to him,” Harry nodded. “I wanna talk to Rick about something, though.”

“About what?” Rick asked.

From the corner of his eyes, Harry saw Shane and Lori tense but he ignored them. One look at Rick told him that the man also noticed.

“About Randall. We agreed a week is the longest for him to stay and recover. But I’ve been keeping him asleep for most of the time, for his own good and ours but mostly his because I want his leg to heal. The problem is a week of doing nothing for a healing leg like his makes it weak even after fully healed so…I want to ask your permission to keep him awake for a full day tomorrow so he can exercise his legs before we set him free. That way if he does encounter walkers after he’s free, he would have a chance to run for his life instead of stumbling on weak legs.”

Rick nodded thoughtfully.

“You’re kidding me, right? What if he takes off and go back to his people when no one’s watching?” Shane voiced his protest.

“I would put a tracker on him and warn him about running. I’m sure you’d be more than happy to give him a threat or two and assign someone to watch him just in case,” Harry snarked at him.

“A tracker?”

“A locator spell. It’s placed on an object or a person to keep track of them. If he does try to run, I’d be able to apparate to his location and bring him back.”

“And apparate is…?” Rick inquired.

“Think of it as teleportation. Usually you need to know how the destination looks like to be able to teleport to the place, but with a locator spell, I don’t need that because the spell would bring me to the object or the person the spell was casted on instead of a specific location. So wherever Randall runs off to, he won’t get far before I get to him. Which also reminds me, I want to volunteer to be the one who sets Randall free since…you know…teleportation, it’s faster and I can get him as far away as possible without letting him know the way back here. I can even get him back to Atlanta if I need to.”

“All right,” Rick nodded. “I don’t see any flaw in that plan. Harry’s right. Randall would need to recover fully before we can set him free, otherwise it’s no better than leaving him behind a week ago.”

“None of us would have to be bothered with this now if you did,” Shane scoffed.

“Don’t you worry, Shane. I’m the one who did all the work here. No need to bother yourself,” Harry sneered.

The man flushed and looked away with a scowl. Harry smirked as he turned away with the food tray and disappeared into the corridor where Jimmy’s room was. Everyone else went back to their tasks, trying to busy themselves while awkwardly avoiding Shane’s moody form. Confrontation between ex-lovers was never pleasant.

“Guess he won’t be joining us for dinner again, then. And here I thought we could thank him for helping Beth,” Maggie scowled at the group.

“Well, he wouldn’t bail on Daryl anyway, and that man knows Harry’s not entirely welcome within us to join us,” Dale said, indicating to his group, making them squirm with guilt. “Doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy their dinner. I think Harry made something special since he and Daryl moved out to their new campsite”

“Their new campsite?” Rick asked worriedly.

Shane frowned, “What are you talking about, Dale?”

 “I offered Harry a place to stay,” Hershel replied before Dale could with neutral tone, “I thought he could use a break seeing as he’s more welcome here than at the camp. But he politely refused because apparently Daryl also doesn’t feel welcome among your people and offered to share a tent with Harry at a new campsite.”

“I don’t think it’s safe for them to be alone out there…” Rick frowned.

“Don’t worry. Harry can protect them. He can make a protection ward for their camp and since it’s smaller I don’t think it would be as difficult as our ward,” Dale said.

“Our ward? What did you mean with ‘our ward’?” Shane demanded.

“Harry created a protection ward that would warn him about anything harmful around the house and our campsite. He has to recharge the power every day and it exhausts him almost to the point of passing out because the size of the ward is too big for him but he still does it anyway,” Dale shrugged like it was a no biggie, but he could see the revelation startled most of them. Good, that was his intention. “But I don’t think it would be the same for his and Daryl’s camp since it’s much smaller.”

“He does that?” Rick looked surprised.

“He passed out because of it?” Maggie gasped.

“No, but it was close,” Dale shook his head.

“So he’s been protecting us to the point of exhaustion and everyone still treated him like shit? Some people are plainly selfish and ungrateful,” she sneered as she continued her dinner preparation with more force than necessary, almost slamming the plates on to the table.

Most of the group flushed with shame. Lori looked indignant. When she noticed Shane, T-Dog and Carol looked uncomfortable and guilty, she frowned. She didn’t care about what T-Dog or Carol was thinking, not really, but Shane was another matter. Dale smiled pleasantly at the Greene’s. He was the only one who didn’t bother to hide his support for Harry the last week. Glenn looked ashamed for a bit but then nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. Harry deserves a break from us. We’ve been jerks towards him this last week and he doesn’t deserve that,” he said and blushed when Maggie watched him for a second before smiling pleasantly at him for the first time in a week. It only lasted a second and seemed a little hesitant but Glenn still felt happier and more confident because of it.

“Where’s Andrea?” T-Dog asked, trying to look for a change of topic.

“She’s not welcome here anymore,” Maggie said curtly.

Another awkward silence fell onto them. When Harry returned to the dining room with the empty tray, everyone was just about to start dinner.

“Why don’t you join us, Harry?” Maggie invited when he was about to leave. She couldn’t help it, she just had to try. “My family wants to thank you for helping Beth. Let’s eat together.”

“Thanks, but…Daryl’s waiting for me,” Harry smiled and then whispered, “Besides, it would still be awkward with them. After today’s incident, your father doesn’t need the additional stress.”

She sighed. “You’re probably right. Well, see you later then.”

“Later,” Harry nodded with a smile and left.

Harry spotted a fire at the camp and saw Andrea sitting alone. Pity rushed through his heart at the sight. He looked up at the dark sky and sighed before walking towards the main campsite. Andrea noticed him and frowned a little.

“Hey,” Harry said.

“Hey,” Andrea said neutrally.

“Want to join me and Daryl for dinner?” Harry gestured towards the area Daryl had taken as their campsite, far away from the group.

“I don’t need your pity,” Andrea said curtly.

“It’s not pity,” Harry lied, “Just a friendly invitation. I always find that eating alone is an unpleasant experience. It’s probably because I grew up at a boarding school where everyone gathered and ate together at the great hall.” Harry shrugged to himself. “So, wanna join us?”

Andrea bit her lips before nodding hesitantly. Her eyes were suspiciously bright but Harry didn’t say anything. Daryl raised an eyebrow at the sight of Harry and Andrea walking together. Harry grinned while Andrea smiled sheepishly at him. The redneck snorted, already thinking that sometimes Harry was too kind.

“Hurry up, you two,” he said grumpily. “I’m starving and this guy wouldn’t allow me to eat until he came back. Taunting me with the smell of grilled fish…”

Harry chuckled. “They were still roasting anyway. You couldn’t eat them yet.”

“Grilled fish…” Andrea said softly as they gathered around the fire.

Harry paused and then remembered. “Ah, Andrea…”

She shook her head with a sad smile. “Your grilled fish was the highlight of that night. They were delicious. I’m glad it’s not squirrel on the menu,” she said, eyeing the line of dead squirrels hung up near the tent.

Harry laughed, nodding in agreement while Daryl scoffed.

“Shut up both of you and eat!”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane poked the fire with a stick a couple of times, pushing the firewood closer together, the fire crackled as it lit brighter. It was his turn for the night guard shift. Glenn was at this post on the top of the RV, he exchanged shifts with T-Dog seeing as he skipped his patrol this evening. A light being turned off from the corner of his eyes drew his attention towards the Greene’s house.

He looked over to the empty tent at the other side of the camp. The zipper was opened and flapping from the wind, showing and hiding the emptiness behind it in turn. He looked over to the higher ground at the other side of the farm, the spot where Harry and Daryl were staying together right now.

_“You already have something good going on for you, Shane… You have Harry. Or at least, you had. Why did you screw that up? For what? You were happy.”_

_“I see you pushing everyone away, including Harry. Why? He’s good for you.”_

He scowled at the spot and turned away to look at the fire again. He blinked as he thought he saw an image of himself and Harry lying together inside the empty tent as it flapped open. He was grinning and Harry was giggling on top of him, straddling him. He shook his head rapidly, pressing his fingers against his eyes and when he opened them again, the image was gone. The tent still flapped with the wind but it was empty once again.

_“And you don’t think there’s something weird about that? With how good he was with me and how I just went along with his messed up ideas? You know how I was with strangers before.”_

_“No. I saw a good match and you’re going to throw it away for whatever reason.”_

The stick snapped as Shane jabbed it particularly hard into the fire. He let out a frustrated growl as guilt and determination battled for their own place inside him. He knew that Harry and Daryl had been getting closer lately. Everyone kept saying about how Harry had been good for him, how they were a good match, how he had loved Shane, but just look at him now. It didn’t take long for him to move on to the next guy. He even moved in with Daryl just as easily as he agreed to stay with him.

Shane ignored the voice in his head saying that he was jealous, that he didn’t have the right to be jealous because he was the one who dumped Harry in the first place.

_“You said…you were here for me…you said I wasn’t a rebound…that we were together and you wouldn’t have it any other way…were they all lies?”_

A hiss escaped him as he squeezed his eyes shut.

“No…I made the right choice…I’m going to be a father and if that means I have to sacrifice everything else then so be it.”

Yeah…so be it…

Then why he couldn’t stop feeling this deep wrongness inside him?

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Randall winced as the light hit his eyes. He was wary and not a little scared of the man in front of him. The man had healed him but he also had done something to him. Every time he waved his hand or a white stick in his hand, things happened and most of the time, he fell unconscious until his next meal and bathroom break.

“Okay…” Harry said slowly, “I see that you’re aware of your surrounding and your leg is also healed for now, if a bit weak. Do you have any questions?”

“Who…are you? What are you?” Randall stuttered out.

Harry grimaced at the “what” part. “My name is Harry. Do you remember what happened that night you got hurt?”

Randall nodded slowly.

“Good. Rick and the others brought you back here. I’m the doctor who treated your injury. It’s been a week since then. I’m also a wizard…”

“Wizard?”

“Yes. I can do magic. That’s what you wanna know about what I am. That’s how I kept you unconscious most of the time. Everyone feels safer knowing you can’t go anywhere or run back to your people.”

“What…what are you going to do with me? Whatever it is, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to shoot your friends…I mean, I meant to but it was because the others told me to and…!”

Harry held up his hand to stop him. “It doesn’t matter whether you meant to or not,” he said, “I’m going to let you stay awake the whole day today so you can exercise your leg, like physical therapy. Someone’s going to watch you to make sure you don’t run off and even if you manage to run, you wouldn’t get far because I’m going to put a spell on you that acts like a tracker so I will know where you are any time I want to know. I will be able to…teleport to you and bring you back here if you try to run. You understand what I’m saying?”

Randall gulped loudly and nodded.

“After your leg is stronger, we’re going to release you to a safe place but before that, we’re going to erase your memory of the last week so you won’t remember what happened and you won’t remember us and our location. That way, if you go back to your people, my people here would be safe. Understand?”

The boy paled. “Erase my memory? You can do that? Please don’t…”

“There are some people here who want you dead so you can’t go back to your people with the information of our location at all. So it’s either erase your memory or kill you,” Harry told him bluntly.

The boy paled even further and nodded shakily. “Okay…Just please don’t kill me…”

“You behave and no one will hurt you,” Rick, who had been standing at the door the whole time, warned him.

“You can start your exercise by walking around a little bit. Get your leg use to the movement again. You almost had nerve damage last week so I suspect your leg’s gonna feel a little weak at the moment so don’t strain it, all right?”

Randall nodded. Harry clapped him softly on the shoulder. The boy flinched from his touch. The wizard ignored it and looked at Rick who nodded in return. He left the room, hearing Rick saying some words to the boy but didn’t stay to hear the end of that conversation. He saw T-Dog in the living room. The man smiled awkwardly at him.

“Hi,” Harry said stiffly.

“Hey, Harry…” T-Dog looked down at his gun, “Rick wants me to be the one who watches the kid.”

“Oh, all right, then,” Harry nodded. “He’s not allowed to run, for his exercise, I mean…not until he can walk without a limp.”

“I’ll remember that,” T-Dog nodded back.

“And Rick gave me a walkie,” Harry pulled out his walkie-talkie. “He’s going to give you the other one so if Randall manages to get away from you, just…call me.”

“All right,” T-Dog bobbed his head again.

“Right,” Harry said.

“Harry,” T-Dog called him just as he was about to leave. Harry turned around to look at him. “I’m sorry,” the dark-skinned man said unexpectedly.

“What?” Harry was confused.

“Just…sorry,” T-Dog repeated and then quickly ducked into the corridor of Jimmy’s room.

Harry stood there with his hand on the front door’s knob in silence. He didn’t know what to say or what to think. He could feel something in his chest loosen a little bit, though, and then realized that it didn’t feel so tight anymore since…he didn’t know since when, but as he figured out one by one that not all of the members of his group acted so hostile anymore, he felt lighter.

A small smile tugged shyly at his lips as he left the house.

**~ To be continued ~**


	20. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter ever! So far, anyway… My little sister suggested me to move my stories to my own blog. I happen to have one at Blogger. And then my ISP blocks the ffnet from me. Guess it’s just meant to be, huh?  
> After the season 2 arc is finished in this story (that would the fall of the farm and probably two chapters from now), I’d start post the rest of the update on my blog. I’d give you the link to there once I upload them later. I’m so sorry if this inconvenient anyone, but if my ISP unblocks ff.net or I can find any ISP that doesn’t block it, then I probably wouldn’t have to upload this story to my block. My other new stories (I’m writing another HPxTWD fanfic and there’s no pairing yet, so if you have any OTP please feel free to share, but the only character from HP universe that would appear in this new story is Harry himself and no one else) would be uploaded there, though. I wanna try my hand on blogging again now that I have a real concept of what I wanna do with it. Thanks for the support~
> 
> PS. Anyone with ff.net account, can you please leave a review on my story there to tell everyone I update here? Because I can't access that site at the moment and it wouldn't be fair to leave them ignorant about this. Thank you~

She had went to the ground near the barn, where the graves of their fallen ones were, with a couple of white Cherokee Roses Daryl had told her and Harry about last night. She wasn’t Sophia’s mother or family of the Greene’s, but it was the prettiest flower she could find around the farm. She placed the flowers on each grave and said a little prayer for them before starting to look around for the thing she had come for.

She found it under a tree nearby where it had landed a week ago after she ripped it off her wrist. Picking it up, she felt guilt and relief wash over her. She was too prideful to really say it last night and there were still so many things she didn’t understand and wanted the answers to, but if she wanted any of that, she had to make up with Harry first.

When she thought about it, he really hadn’t done anything so outrageous that he deserved being shunned by everyone. She had heard about what had happened at last night’s dinner at the Greene’s, about the protection ward that Harry had apparently set up to protect them, about how it exhausted him, about his offer to be the one to send Randall off safely for all of them so they didn’t have to kill the kid. When she thought about it, he had done a lot of things for them. They might not be some glaringly obvious and righteous and heroic actions that made everyone impressed with him, but he still did a lot for them, small and unseen but vital things no one ever noticed, like that protection ward. He also offered emotional support for people, whether it was with tough or soft love. A lot of them had gone to him for that vital but unnoticed need, some were even unwanted ones but he gave it nonetheless, and none of them even realized that they always felt a little better about their situation after they talked to him.

She only realized it when she finally took the time to think. After what he had told her yesterday after the incident with Beth, she had to admit she wasn’t all that focused on her watch duty. She spent most of her time thinking instead. Thinking about everything that had passed and she realized things probably could have been worse for them if Harry wasn’t there.

He had tried to stop her from staying at the CDC, only Shane got to him first and Dale was the one who got to stay and change her mind. He ran after Sophia without a second thought and protected her from the walkers, though no one knew what really happened when he lost her. He treated T-Dog’s wound when he realized Dale had done it wrong and prevented a possibly fatal infection for the man, what with the lack of proper medical care nowadays. He saved Carl’s life, no matter if he made Rick and Shane make a promise first or not, and if what he had told her was the truth then he would have saved Carl immediately anyway, without that promise, if the boy really was dying. He gave Carol a reason to be strong and learn weaponry and how to shoot, something to focus on instead of drowning in her worries over her daughter and in result, got her to be able to defend herself better. If he wasn’t an immortal wizard, she could have shot Daryl to death with her cockiness that fateful evening. He took the responsibility of putting Sophia out of her misery and she knew that it was a heavy burden that everyone in the group was secretly relieved that they didn’t have to be the one to do. And now, he also took responsibility over Randall for all of their sakes, the boy, the group and the Greene’s.

Yes, there were a lot of things Harry didn’t do to help. A lot of things he kept as secrets. And he made mistakes. But who didn’t anyway? Immortal or not, magic or not, he was still human. And humans made mistakes.

She looked down at the bracelet and heaved a sigh of relief when she found that the thing wasn’t damaged at all. She had only managed to untie the lock when she ripped it off. She tried to remember the way Harry had tied the bracelet around her wrist before. She thought about Harry the whole time and managed to copy it since she was so curious at the time and observed the progress the whole time and when her body gave a full body shiver she knew she had done it right. She smiled proudly at the result of her effort.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Lori was glaring at the scene in front of her. That freaky wizard was sitting on the porch, reading one of his freaky books while occasionally stealing glances at that Randall boy practicing his walk with wary glances at T-Dog who was watching him with poker face several yards away from him. The boy had been told about what Harry was and avoided looking at the freak’s direction ever since. Thug or not, at least the boy had some sense in him.

She didn’t like Harry and definitely didn’t trust him. It had nothing to do with his magic, not entirely. It was just something about him that rubbed her the wrong way and she had learnt to trust her instincts ever since the affair with Shane.

Speaking of Shane, she still couldn’t believe what he had done. She knew he had been pining for her since they were in high school. Even Rick knew that though they all pretended it wasn’t the case. But never in her wildest dreams did she think that Shane would lie to her about Rick being dead just to have her. She didn’t entirely believe him when he told her that that wasn’t the case. Shane had a habit of telling half-truths for his own benefit and outright lying if he needed to. And while she was drowning in guilt and shame over what had happened, afraid that Rick would find out about her affair with his best friend, Shane just easily moved on without any problem at all, leaving her alone with the burden of their mistakes. Not only did he move on to another man but, he moved on to a dangerous man with shady background. Seriously, did Harry really think everybody would believe that he was some kind of self-sacrificing savior? No one was that selfless. Harry had proved that he was a selfish bastard over and over again with Amy and Jim’s death, with Sophia’s death, with many things! And the worst things was, despite all of that, Shane treated him with more respect than her! Even Rick listened to his ideas and followed his lead!!

Oh, the freak probably didn’t think she would notice but she had seen the way he had took charge up at the highway and gave out orders to everyone like he had the right to lord over them. And now the situation with Randall, he also made his own decision and got everyone to agree with him. The way he came up with suggestions that satisfied everyone and the way he delivered those suggestions to make everyone follow his lead…he was slowly but surely taking over the leadership without anyone noticing it. Even the Greene’s were already under his thumb. Rick was the leader of their group, dammit! Not that freak!

She guessed it was time to try to talk to Rick about the freak again. She didn’t care if he was the only doctor in their group, she would rather take her chances with Hershel, who was a veterinarian, than letting that freak taking care of her and her baby. She didn’t trust him at all and she wanted him gone.

Up ahead, she saw Carl kicking and playing at something on the ground.

“Baby, where’s your daddy?” she asked her sweet little boy.

“He’s up there,” Carl said, pointing to the now walker-free barn.

“All right,” she smiled, patting his head lovingly.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick was walking back and forth, examining parts of the barn here and there, and thinking about the room they could use for staying. He was pretty sure he could get Hershel allow them to stay in there now that the place wasn’t used to keep the walkers anymore. He heard wood creaking that didn’t come from his steps. Looking up, he saw Lori walking in hesitantly.

“So, uh, the nights are getting colder and we’re pretty exposed,” Lori began, “I was thinking…”

“Maybe we could clear this place out, station lookouts up here,” Rick suggested, happy that his wife was thinking the same thing as him.

“Uh…” Lori looked around in hesitation, distaste flashed briefly in her eyes before she covered it with neutrality.

He sighed. He had forgotten how high Lori’s taste in things could be sometimes, or how she could be a little spoiled. So, he amended, “Or we could talk to Hershel about staying in the house.”

“Yeah,” Lori looked relieved.

Truly, Rick didn’t want to bother the man if he could help it. He doubted that the man would allow strangers into his house, no matter how many things they had been through together, especially with how Hershel was holding a grudge against his best friend. Hershel also clearly favored Harry and the group had been nothing but unpleasant towards the wizard, another favor point taken from them. But, Lori was pregnant and if she didn’t want something it was preferable to follow it. He remembered some facts that a pregnant women’s craving were their body’s way of telling what it needed the most at the moment. And he also remembered how unpleasant Lori could be when she had one of them from when she was carrying Carl in the past.

“So…are we really going to do this?” Lori asked.

“Do what?” Rick asked in confusion.

She shrugged. “Randall. Wiping his memories…setting him free clueless about how he ended up at some strange place…make him vulnerable like that…”

“We don’t have a choice. He already knows about the walkers so he’d know how to defend himself. We’re also gonna provide him with a few supplies to survive alone long enough,” Rick shrugged and sighed, “Besides, it’s not like we’re gonna do anything since Harry’s the one who’s doing all the work.”

“Yeah, that…I don’t know…I just don’t feel he’s trustworthy…”

“Are we really talking about this again?” Rick voiced his exasperation.

“I just don’t feel safe living with someone with all that power…Rick, just think about it,” Lori stopped him when he was about to speak. “Have you seen him at all this last week? He’s been doing magic here and there. Not often but enough for everyone to see he could do so much before. All the people we’ve lost…he could’ve saved them, Rick. And he didn’t! When we were mobbed by the walkers? He could’ve just…made them disappear like he did with the trash bags he helped Hershel to get rid off or throw them away with his…flying spell!”

“Banishing charm and levitation,” Rick corrected.

“What?” Lori looked surprised. “You’ve been taking magic lessons with him?!”

“It’s magic. You said we don’t know what he’s capable of, so I’m learning,” Rick shrugged before frowning, “And just like the last time, what do you expect me to do? He had his reasons, Lori! Just like I had reasons for risking everyone’s life for a girl I secretly knew in my heart was dead. Like Andrea and Beth had reasons to think suicide was the only way. Like you had reasons to sleep with my own best friend!”

Lori’s hand whipped out so fast Rick didn’t see it move at all, but he did expect that reaction. His head snapped to the side from the loud impact. His cheek stung like hell.

“How dare you…” Lori hissed, “I’m just concerned about our safety and you just…after we agreed to put it all behind? How could you?!”

“I…I’m sorry, Lori. I was…I was wrong to say that,” Rick admitted. He felt ashamed. Lori crossed her arms and looked away with a sniff. He saw her blinking rapidly to chase away tears and felt even guiltier than before. “Look, even if you feel that way about Harry…we still need him. You’re…”

“Pregnant, I know,” Lori nodded jerkily. “But we only need him for that right? We don’t need him after…”

Rick frowned. “We need everyone to survive, Lori. Including him.”

“No, we don’t. We were doing just fine without him before…”

“We still need a doctor. Especially after the baby comes, he or she will need extra care because we don’t have the usual medical aid anymore, vaccinations and all that stuff…”

“You could suggest that Hershel learns. He’s a veterinarian. He already knows the basics, right? Just tell everyone that it is just in case we get separated in an unexpected event or whatever. The more people learn how to treat injuries and such the better anyway,” Lori said.

“So you want Hershel to learn from Harry to replace him after the baby’s born so we can kick him out? That doesn’t make sense, not to mention wrong!” Rick protested.

“I don’t care, Rick! I don’t want him here. I don’t feel safe with him around! He didn’t see anything wrong with holding back on us, acting on his own…God knows what those so called wards would do…”

“It’s for our protection…”

“So he said! Why should we keep loose cannon like him around? You didn’t have a problem getting rid of Merle!”

“Because I always planned to go back for Merle! I never wanted to leave him! And besides Harry’s not like Merle...”

“Daryl came from magic! That means Merle too! And you see how they are! Especially Merle! Who says Harry’s not like that or even worse? All we have are his words!”

“Daryl is a good man. He got hurt searching for Sophia! So is Harry! And we don’t just kick people out despite their mistakes because we are the better men! We can be the better men!” Rick almost shouted in his frustration.

“Then it’s a good thing I’m not a man,” Lori raised an eyebrow at him. “I can be the one to tell him to leave when the time comes if you don’t want to.”

Rick growled. He pinched the bridge of his nose trying to keep the headache at bay. “So what? You want to kick Daryl out too while you’re at it? Just because he’s also from magic?”

“No! It’s just Harry so…look, just think about it, all right?” Lori pleaded.

“Even so, we can’t just make a decision like this without discussing it with others and I doubt they, especially the Greene’s, would agree with you and we’re staying at their land at the moment if you didn’t notice,” Rick tried to reason, “So how about…we don’t think about this for a while? It will be months before the baby comes. Maybe you will change your mind by then.”

“Fine,” Lori snorted softly, clearly doubting that possibility.

Rick sighed. He was confused and angry and disappointed about why Lori was acting like this. He couldn’t help but think if this was because Harry was with Shane and she was jealous. But Harry and Shane break up all of a sudden? And around the time he told Shane about Lori’s pregnancy, too.

The separation wasn’t mutual. He could see that. The hurt and longing looks Harry was still throwing in Shane’s direction when the man wasn’t looking said that much. So did his best friend’s hard efforts to avoid the wizard, to not look in his direction and his eyes still flashed with jealousy whenever he saw another person close with Harry. He also had been a little hostile towards Daryl lately because the man was getting closer with Harry each day. Rick wanted to shake some sense into his brother in all but blood, but the stubborn fool had been ignoring him too after their talk in the woods the day before. Rick really hoped there wouldn’t be a break out over the love triangle between Harry, Shane and Daryl in the near future. He didn’t need to deal with that after everything.

Shane said he wanted to be a father to his own baby. Rick could accept that, though it didn’t mean he thought it was a good idea. The resentment that would build up from the constant reminder would mess everything up. And it really didn’t help with Rick’s confidence and belief that Shane had really moved on from Lori if not for the constant jealousy Shane had shown over Harry.

Rick sighed heavily. Hopefully, things would get better soon.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Carl sat in front of the pile of stones that were the gravestone of his best friend. He had very few friends ever since the end of the world happened. Very few children survived. Back at the camp outside of Atlanta, he had a group of friends and then they were separated by their parents. He had only one friend since then, Sophia. Now she was dead too and he was the only child in the group. He wondered how someone could feel so lonely in a group full of people.

Sure, his mother was pregnant and he would have a baby brother or sister soon but it would be years before they could play with him. There were also the walkers. So, even though he was happy, he was also worried for his mom and his baby sibling.

The last few weeks had been very hard and confusing. Things became difficult ever since his dad and Harry joined them, but in a way, it was better too. He had his dad back. They lived in a safe place in the form of Greene’s Farm now. The place had larger space; they bred their own chickens and even had eggs, they also could hunt for other kinds of meat in the woods, there were some crops too. They rarely went out for supplies nowadays and Carl was relieved because it meant there was less of a chance for them to lose people, that it was safer. They have a doctor now…well, two doctors. One was a veterinarian and the other was a physician, which was very rare and important to have nowadays.

Speaking of physician, Harry was really awesome too. He was a wizard that could do magic! Magic was real! Sophia would be so excited if she ever found out…

But then there was that problem. Sophia. No one really wanted to tell him anything, this was one of the reasons he felt so lonely and angry right now, but from what he got, apparently Harry knew about Sophia’s death and didn’t tell anyone. Everyone was so angry with him for that. He didn’t know why…after all, the Greene’s didn’t tell them about the barn too but after a while, everyone forgave everyone. Except for Harry.

Carl didn’t want to be angry with Harry or blame him. He was too cool for that. A wizard! But…he couldn’t help but wonder if Harry could have saved Sophia but didn’t, like his mom had said. Harry had to hide his magic before because of some laws and because he was afraid, that was what his dad said. Carl would have been afraid too if he was him. He felt sorry for Harry because all of his friends and family and other people with magic were gone. He was alone now and probably feeling even lonelier than Carl. But, if he didn’t hide his magic, could he have saved Sophia? If so, then why didn’t he save her? She was his friend! And still a child like him too! Why didn’t she get to live like him? Why didn’t she get to survive?! It wasn’t fair!

Carl’s hand unconsciously went to the side of his body, where his gunshot injury was. The wound was fully healed now, leaving only a pink scar that didn’t even feel sensitive anymore. He could move freely now without having to worry about reopening his wound again. Dad said Harry healed his wound in ten minutes. Carl had seen him do magic all week. Well, not all week and not that often but he saw him make a book fly to him once when he was busy reading another thick and ancient-looking book – researching, Harry told him – before his mom dragged him away. There was also the time a hen escaped when Maggie went to feed the brood. And when she chased it, the other birds ran out following their friend. Harry laughed at Maggie who had been running all over the place to catch the birds and then with a wave of his hand, all the birds suddenly floated up to the air and back into the chicken coop. One even flapped its wings in a mockery of flying.

It made Carl wonder if he could do the same to the walkers. He wondered if he had, maybe they would have more time to run, maybe Sophia wouldn’t have went missing and ended up dead. The more he thought about it, the angrier Carl became. Though he was grateful that Harry saved his life, he was also angry with him for not saving his best friend. What use was it for him to have magic if he couldn’t…wouldn’t save his friend?!

Suddenly he understood why his mom hated Harry so much. Yes, he noticed that. Despite what his mom said, he saw the angry and hateful glares she shot at Harry. But then he remembered what his dad said. He remembered how Harry was when he first came to them. So stoic, his eyes dull and empty despite his effort to look friendly and harmless, he was expressionless almost all the time with careless comments and hurtful jabs here and there. He looked so lost. He had been alone before he joined them. He had a horrible childhood. He found out his family and friends had died. Carl imagined that waking up to their ghosts wasn’t pleasant at all. In fact, it was horrifying. Carl shuddered at the thought of that ever happening to him.

But with time, Harry changed. He became more like the Harry in his stories from when he was young. Though lately had been very difficult for Harry since everyone except The Greene’s hated him, Carl understood a little why he was hiding like that. But he also wanted to hold onto his anger a little longer. Why couldn’t Harry have changed sooner? He was a hero to his people. A hero shouldn’t be hiding when there was a child in danger.

Carl sniffled hard, trying to keep his angry tears at bay.

“You know, we’ll see Sophia again in heaven some day.”

Carl would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little startled to hear Carol’s voice suddenly. He ignored her and kept his gaze hard on the gravestone. There was a pregnant pause. Carol was clearly waiting for a response from him.

“She’s in a better place,” she said again.

“No, she’s not,” he snapped angrily at her, “Heaven is just another lie. And if you believe it, you’re an idiot!”

Then he ran away. He knew he shouldn’t have said that. Carol was Sophia’s mother. If anyone had the right to be angry and grieving, it would be her. But how could he not be angry at her when she looked so calm and cool with Sophia’s death?

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Carol felt like someone had just stabbed her and twisted the knife in her heart. Again. However, her hurt soon turned into anger. How dare Carl say something like that to her? He had no right! It wasn’t only his friend that was dead. Sophia was her daughter!

She had spent all week crying and grieving for her dead daughter with everyone walking on cracked eggshells around her. Talking to her ghost, getting to say goodbye didn’t make things easier for her. In fact, she thought it made it worse. And when she was just beginning to feel better, beginning to accept what had happened…this was what she got?

She heard footsteps from behind her. Turning around, she found Lori and Rick walking together. She strode over to them.

“You need to control that boy,” she said angrily.

“Carl? What happened?” Rick looked confused.

“He’s disrespectful.”

“Did he say something?”

“Something cruel about Sophia.”

“We’ll figure it out. It’s okay. I…” Lori assured her.

“It’s not okay!” Carol snapped. They looked surprised at her sudden burst of emotion.

“Uh…I’ll have a talk with him,” Rick assured her and then went to track down his son.

“See? We’ll deal with it. If you can calm down, so that I can…” Lori said to her, trying to be reassuring but only to be found condescending.

“Don’t tell me to calm down!”

“No, I don’t mean…”

“I don’t need you to patronize me. Everyone either avoids me or they treat me like I’m crazy. I lost my daughter. I didn’t lose my mind!”

This time, it was her who ran away before anything more could be said.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Carl!”

The boy paused at his father’s voice. He turned around to see his dad approaching him with a displeased look on his face.

“Come over here,” Rick called him.

Carl followed obediently, knowing he was in trouble.

“Did you talk back to Carol?” Rick asked.

“No,” Carl answered quickly, too quickly.

“She says you did,” Rick looked even more displeased. Carl didn’t answer. Rick sighed. “You can’t talk back to people like that.”

“I said it’s stupid to believe in heaven. ‘Cause it is,” Carl mumbled.

“Well, just think about that for a minute. She just lost her daughter. She wants to believe she’s still alive in some way,” Rick tried to explain.

“But she…”

“Don’t…don’t talk. Think,” Rick told him. “It’s a good rule of thumb for life.”

“Mom always wants you to talk more.”

“Don’t change the subject. You owe Carol an apology. You made a mistake. Fix it.”

“Is that why you told Harry to wipe that guy’s memory and then leave him out there clueless? To fix your mistake?” Carl asked in challenge.

“That’s different,” Rick said upset. “You just think about how you’re gonna make things right with Carol. Don’t talk. Think.”

Carl just looked at him.

“You got it?”

The boy nodded. “Yeah.”

Rick nodded in approval in return but before he could walk away, Carl spoke again.

“Why didn’t Harry save Sophia?”

Rick stopped and turned back.

“He saved me. Why didn’t he save her? Or tell us that she was dead?” Carl asked again. “He has magic. He can do many things to help us. Why didn’t he?”

Rick sighed. “I’m sure he has his own reasons, Carl.”

“But people were dying. Amy, Jim, Jacqui, Sophia…if he could heal me so easily, why didn’t he help them? Are his reasons more important than people’s life?” Anger flashed in the boy’s eyes.

“You can’t…Carl, you can’t think like that,” Rick said, kneeling in front of the boy, scared that his son would turn hateful like his wife. “Harry was scared and alone. We were strangers to him. He didn’t know us and we didn’t know him. And he was so different from us. It’s understandable that he didn’t trust us with his ability. You remember the story of his life?”

Carl nodded.

“Then you must have noticed that he lived in our world longer than in his, right? He grew up as one of us before he knew about magic and after that he gave it all up and came to our world to be a doctor. He lived longer as a muggle than as a wizard. He probably thinks more like us, trying to solve a problem the normal way first before he thinks about doing it with magic. Besides…his people kinda proved it to us that magic can’t solve everything.”

“Harry’s people are gone,” Carl said.

“Exactly,” Rick nodded.

That made Carl pause and think about everything his dad had said. He understood what his dad was trying to say. He was still angry and grieving but not as much as before.

“I feel sorry for Harry and his people,” Carl said softly.

“Me too, kiddo. Me too,” Rick smiled sadly, patting Carl’s hat covered head.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“So, how is the boy?”

Harry looked up from his book to see Andrea standing in front of the porch, looking up at him before looking away to another direction. Harry followed her gaze towards Randall, who was stumbling around, with T-Dog, who was watching the boy with narrowed eyes and waving his weapon threateningly. Randall would pale and stumble a little away from him and T-Dog would smirk in amusement behind the boy’s back and then the routine would be repeated again later.

“He’s doing not as well as I’d hoped…” Harry admitted. “I expected he would be able to walk a little more steadily, at the very least.”

“You think something’s wrong? Maybe it’s too soon?” Andrea frowned.

“Nah,” Harry waved his hand dismissively, “Carl was injured as bad as him and was doing just fine. I only kept Randall under longer because he was in risk of nerve damage, but other than that, he should be fine. I think he’s just being a whiny brat.”

Andrea’s lips twitched in amusement. “Is that why T-Dog is threatening him like that?”

“No. The man’s just bored and looking for amusement,” Harry smirked.

She chuckled at that. Her wrist caught Harry’s attention when she brought her hand to cover her laugh. He felt mixed feelings swirling in his chest at the sight of the protection charm.

“I see that you’ve gotten the bracelet back,” Harry commented lightly or at least trying to.

Andrea looked at him sheepishly and with a little bit of guilt. “Yeah…sorry about…you know…”

“Here, let me see,” Harry examined the bracelet, prodding his magic against the charm a little bit and smiled. “You actually knotted it the right way. How did you know how to do that?”

“Well…I thought the way you did it the first time was a little odd so I thought maybe there are some meanings in it so I tried to remember,” Andrea shrugged.

“Just by watching me once?” Harry raised an eyebrow, impressed. “My, my~ we’d be making a great witch out of you yet.”

Andrea laughed, “If only I had magic.”

“Yeah, if only,” Harry grinned.

“Speaking of, I thought you said it couldn’t be undone until the protection ran out. How come I can…untie it?” Andrea asked, a little guiltily but also curious.

“Because it’s a protection charm, Andrea, not a slave collar. The charm would only protect you as long as you’re willing to accept its protection. You can’t lose it or damage it in an accident, but you can always get it off anytime you want to,” Harry explained.

“I see,” she nodded in understanding. “What are you reading?” she asked again, eyeing the stash of books on his side. Some were opened and there were notes around in Harry’s handwriting.

“Oh, I’m researching,” Harry replied as he gestured to the book, “It’s been a long time since I’ve practiced serious magic. I only know things from school and I’m untrained in many professional fields because I never got the chance to learn. I dropped out of the healing school and traveled around before I went to get my MD. You could say that I only have high school standard education in Wizarding world, so I got a lot to learn.”

“I see…” Andrea nodded, “What are you researching?”

“Wards and the likes,” Harry told her.

“Like the protection ward to put around us?”

Harry raised an eyebrow at her.

“Dale told us,” she shrugged.

“Yes, like that. The one I’m using is particularly draining if isn’t done right and I’m untrained. There’s only so much you can learn from a book and I don’t many own a collection on wards, mostly healing. Also, learning without a master’s guidance is a painful task, not to mention dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” Andrea frowned.

“It’s the runes…Runes are tricky, a wrong symbol can cause a wrong effect. Sometimes it can be explosive. Relax,” Harry waved at the panicked look in her eyes, “If this one was gonna explode, it would’ve happened the moment I installed it. I checked the runes a dozen times before I raised the ward.”

Andrea sighed in relief. “Then, what’s the problem?”

“The draining part. I’m sure there’s a solution for it but for the life of me, I can’t figure out what. If something isn’t done soon, there’s a possibility it will continue to drain more power every time it recharges. Me passing out for recharging the ward is a small price but there’s also the possibility of things going off side and the draining could leave me a squib.”

“Oh…that’s not good.”

“But then again, it wouldn’t be as easy as that. I’m the Master of Death, an immortal. I don’t know how it would affect the wards or me if that happened. I have a feeling it wouldn’t be good so it’s best not to chance it. That’s why I have to learn from the bottom again,” Harry said, lifting his book for Andrea to see. The title was “Basic Knowledge Behind The Magic Of Wards”.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked hesitantly.

Harry paused at the question and looked at her. Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, he smiled. “I would love to say ‘yes’, but you don’t even know the basics of magic in general. Sorry.”

“I can learn. I have time before my shift. It’s not like I have anything else to do,” she shrugged. “Not like I can do magic, but maybe there’s something I can find or an idea that wouldn’t be seen by a wizard? Fresh eye and mind on things?”

Harry lips twitched against the smile that threatened to bloom on his face. In the end, he didn’t fight it and smiled pleasantly at her. “If you’re sure,” he said.

“I am,” Andrea grinned at the happiness in his eyes. She hid the guilt in her heart as hard as she could at the genuine happiness Harry had showed just because someone accepted him for his magic, even showing an interest in it. She was reminded then that Harry grew up being hated for his magic and then even among his own people he had faced many rejections. Suddenly, she understood a little why Dale refused to be angry with them and sided with Harry. Everyone had forgiven everyone, except for Harry. And there was only one glaringly obvious reason for it. Because he was different from them. She felt ashamed of herself all of a sudden. She was a civil rights lawyer before the outbreak, and here she was being prejudiced of someone for being different.

She was brought of out her thoughts when a book was shoved under her nose. She looked up at Harry and then back to the book. _Magic and You: What You Need To Know When You Find Out You Are One Of Us._

“Do all magic books have ridiculously long titles like this?” she asked.

Harry laughed heartily. “That was what I thought when I first joined the Wizarding world. Apparently, wizards weren’t creative when it came to naming their inventions. Pain reliever, blood replenisher, skele-grow, wolfsbane and so many others.”

“Right,” Andrea shook her head in amusement as she accepted the book.

They spent the next couple of hours reading with Andrea asking questions and Harry answering them. They were throwing theories here and there about magic in general. Andrea was confused about why some things had to be that way while others this way and why couldn’t they be other way. Harry realized that her offer for fresh eye and mind on magic wasn’t as empty as it sounded at first because sometimes muggles did have more innovative views compared to the wizards that tended to settle for the same things for decades before the idea for a new invention even crossed their mind. Andrea felt like she was back in college while Harry was reminded of his time teaching Dumbledore’s Army back in fifth year.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Carl was bored. He was the only kid there and no one wanted to play with a kid. Everyone was busy with their own tasks anyway. He missed Sophia so much at the moment. Walking around a fallen tree trunk, he found Daryl’s cool motorbike. He quickly approached the vehicle, ducking a line of dead squirrels. He grabbed the handles with a barely suppressed smile, feeling like playing around.

He remembered the bike being Merle’s and Daryl didn’t want to leave it behind, not after his brother was left behind. The somber thought wiped the smile on his face. He sighed, not feeling much for playing anymore, but he was still a curious boy. He checked one of the bags on the bike, knowing it was rude and intrusive but not caring about it at the moment. Checking the other bag, though, he paused when he saw what was inside. It was a gun.

He picked it up before realizing what he was doing, feeling the weight in his hands. He looked around, closing the bag and shoving the gun into his pocket. Armed, he felt giddy for more adventure.

His parents would never let him go to into the woods without protection and they would be furious if they find out, but he was armed so he wasn’t unprotected, right?

He walked and walked and walked deep into the woods until he stopped when he saw a walker trapped on the river shore. It looked up and immediately tried to reach for him. Carl couldn’t help but stumble back a little in fear. And then he saw that the walker’s legs were deep in the mud. Curious, Carl leaned forward and observed that it couldn’t go anywhere.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Dale observed with amusement as Shane watched Harry and Andrea interacting together on the porch with a bunch of books around them with his binoculars from behind the car he claimed as his. The man growled when he saw the objects of his…observation laughing together, Harry laughed out loud while Andrea slapped him on the shoulder in reaction but she was also giggling. Randall and T-Dog were nearby the couple but it was like they didn’t exist to him.

The old man decided to approach him. He almost choked in laughter when Shane quickly stashed the binoculars into his car as he heard someone approaching and then the boxes of bullets and weapons, like he was just doing his job storing things and not stalking his ex-lover. Casually, Shane turned to see Dale and annoyance flashed in his eyes. He closed the back door of the car before turning around to lean on it, knowing Dale wanted to talk.

“What’s up, Dale?” Shane asked, not even trying to hide his irritation at the meddling old man.

“I wanna change your mind,” Dale said, earning a scoff from the younger man.

“What, you serious?” Shane asked in disbelief.

“I know you and I will never see eye to eye on much,” Dale started.

“I’d say that’s the understatement of the year, huh?”

“But, uh…you’re not going anywhere.”

“Nope.”

“And I’m not going anywhere.”

“Okay.”

“Harry also is not going anywhere. But he could.”

Shane frowned.

“He’s an immortal wizard, Shane. Walkers ignore him. He only came to us because he was alone. He left his world behind because he was different.”

“What’s your point, Dale?”

“I know you still love him, Shane. Your stalking just now proves that,” Dale brought up his hand when Shane was about to say something, probably denying it. “I know what Lori told you about the baby. I confronted her about it before we were interrupted.”

“Then you know I don’t have a choice,” Shane said.

“That’s where you are wrong,” Dale said. “I know you wanna be there for the baby and you will. No one would deny you that even if you’re with Harry and Lori doesn’t approve. Rick won’t let her keep the baby from you. This is the end of the world, Shane. We’re all gonna raise this baby together, everyone in the group. That’s inevitable.”

“Rick wants me to be just a godfather to the baby. I won’t be a godfather to my own baby,” Shane said determinedly.

“Why does it matter? Godfather, uncle, or whatever. Everyone here will be the baby’s uncles, aunties, grandpas…everyone. Like I said, it’s inevitable that the group will raise the baby together, so why does it matter? You and Rick and Lori can explain the baby’s parentage when he or she is older but until then, I ask you once again, why does it matter?”

Shane didn’t have any answer. For the first time, he felt lost, but in a way, what Dale had said made sense and he couldn’t help but feel silly about the whole matter. There was also a little relief in his heart at the future Dale had made him see. It was like a veil had been lifted. It was true; in times like this it was inevitable that everyone would be involved with raising the baby. No matter what Lori said, she wouldn’t be able to keep the baby away from him. Rick won’t allow that, that was for sure.

“Shane,” Dale’s tone softened at the look on the younger man’s face, “You can be a parent to your baby…to anyone’s baby. This is how the world works now. But, love…it wasn’t easy to find before and it’s even more so now. There was a reason Harry chose to join us…another reason could make him choose to leave us because there sure are other groups out there. Randall proves that. He doesn’t really need us to not be alone. Do you really want that to happen?”

Shane felt his heart constrict at the thought of Harry leaving. The possibility didn’t even cross his mind before, probably because he didn’t want to think about it, but it was also true. He remembered the anger, panic and fear he had felt when Harry went missing before and the great relief he felt when he found him again and when he thought Harry had died from the gunshot, and that was even before they were really involved in a relationship.

_“I won’t leave, Shane. You have to trust me on that. I have reasons to stay now…”_

He had reasons “now”, Shane realized suddenly. That was what Harry said. That meant he was going to leave before. He was planning to leave after the search for Sophia ended or probably even before that.

Dale nodded in approval at the realization in his eyes. “I see you’ve finally come to your senses. Maybe now you can ask for Harry’s forgiveness. Why don’t you team up with Glenn? He’s also trying to find a way to grovel back to Maggie at the moment.”

“What for? He’s with Daryl now, anyway,” Shane blurted out bitterly, but the tone of his voice indicated that he was still very much reeling from this talk and new possibilities and the realization of his mistakes. “Don’t be afraid, Dale. He wouldn’t leave with his new boyfriend in the group. They even already moved in together!”

Dale looked amused. “Daryl’s also kind of an outcast at the moment. With Harry with him, they can make it out there together.”

“Then what’s the point? It’s not like he’s going to be with me even if he forgives me!” Shane shouted in anger and frustration. He had messed up. He messed up so badly. Why did he always mess up the good things in his life?!

“Well, that depends on what you can come up with to earn that forgiveness. Like I said, why don’t you team up with Glenn? You can help each other out. I can tell you this to help you, though. Harry and Daryl are related,” Dale almost snickered at the look of surprise and relief in the other man’s eyes.

“What?”

“Apparently, they’re related through the Black Family. I don’t know how, but they found out the night Lori went off on her own to look for Rick.”

“Oh…” Shane sighed in relief. Not that that meant his problem was solved. There was still a matter of earning Harry’s forgiveness and by the looks of it, it wouldn’t be easy. Harry had started to talk back and snark at him instead of moping around. That was a sign of either anger or moving on, neither of them was good. Not that Shane could blame him. He did dump him without a reason and said cruel things in the process too.

“Why did you do this? Help me, I mean,” Shane asked.

“I judged you wrongly before. We might never be able to share the same view about decisions that would be made in the future because you’re too ruthless sometimes, but you’re still a good man. Besides, I did this more for Harry’s sake and the group’s than yours.”

With that, the older man left, feeling very much satisfied at a task accomplished.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane sat there on the ground by the wheel of his car for a while. Thinking. He was thinking about his talk with Dale. He thought about everything that had been said. At first, he thought it was suspicious how quickly he was falling in love with Harry. It was so unlike himself that he had to agree with what Lori had said, that it wasn’t normal, something didn’t add up.

He was wary the first time he found Harry was more than what he said he was when he showed that spell to find Sophia back at the highway. But after they found Hershel’s farm, all of that wariness and suspicion disappeared into thin air like it wasn’t even there in the first place, and then it was replaced by acceptance and blind trust.

And then Lori’s pregnancy came to light and everything suddenly changed. He felt so burdened ever since, like a heavy weight was placed on his shoulders without him knowing. He noticed how unusual he had been acting. Dale said that love can make people change as easily as turning the palm of your hand, but then if it was that strong, then how could he turnaround from it so easily?

He remembered the hurt and betrayal in Harry eyes, such a contrast to the blush and smile he had on his face just a few hours before. Harry had tried to reach out to him, to understand what had been going on with him and he turned him away. Surely Harry would understand why he chose his baby above all, but it was still no excuse to hurt him like that. If only he was willing to talk, maybe Harry would have told him the same thing Dale had earlier. They would have told Rick what had been going on, it would be easy especially since Harry would be there as a buffer and Rick also understood and forgave the affair between Shane and Lori. All he had to do was to be willing to talk.

Then why didn’t he? What was holding him back?

Because he was scared.

It was scary how fast it took him to fall for Harry. And from the looks of it, the same thing also happened to the wizard. He never had any serious relationships before. Shane wasn’t the type to easily commit himself to another unless he had known that person for long and trusted them. And he had just met Harry less than two weeks before everything between them began.

There was also the matter of Harry being an immortal.

One day, he would die, leaving Harry behind. Or worse, one day he would grow old and ugly and Harry would just leave to find someone younger, a better man maybe for Shane was no kind man. Shane was selfish and ruthless, he admitted that. One day, Harry would realize he could do much better than him. And Shane would die alone and wrinkly and old, if he was lucky enough to live that long.

So, yeah, he was scared. It was ridiculous for he was rarely scared in his life.

Now, he had to choose, whether to fight for Harry or to let him go, something that he wasn’t as sure as before that he was ready to do. If he chose to fight, would Harry take him back? He had hurt him deeply. The man had faced so many betrayals in his past. No way would he forgive Shane just like that, not that he deserved easy forgiveness. But would he trust him with his heart again?

If he would, could Shane be with someone who wouldn’t age and die? Well, with any luck, he wouldn’t be the one who got left behind. But then again, that was one of the things that stopped him from getting Harry back. He just couldn’t imagine how much that would hurt Harry if they did decide to try again.

Shit! Things were so confusing. What should he do?

Maybe he should take Dale’s suggestion to mind.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Glenn moped around, unsure what to do. He had just finished his lookout shift. He still hadn’t come up with any idea on how to make up with Maggie. Last night was a bust before dinner had even started but at least he’d earned a friendlier smile from Maggie even if only for a second. That was more than he could say for the last week, though it was his own fault.

He thought about the talk he and Hershel just had. His hands fiddling with the silver pocket watch the man had given him. He couldn’t help but feel proud and honored that Hershel trusted Maggie to him. The old man was very protective over his daughters after all. But he still trusted Glenn with one of them even though he clearly had messed up. Then again, in the eyes of an old man, this was probably just one small obstacle one had to go through sometimes in a relationship. He probably had seen a much brighter future for the two of them and that gave Glenn more confidence to patch things up with Maggie.

Now if only he could figure out how to do it and gain courage somewhere somehow.

Looking up, Glenn saw Shane walking towards him with a determined look on his face. It made him look really scary. Glenn gulped as he felt dread fill his guts.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Throwing stones at the walker lost its appeal quickly. It only got the walker angry. Could it even feel angry? He ran across the sorry excuse of a river and carefully kept out of the walker’s reach as it kept snarling angrily at him. Being so close to the walker, Carl suddenly felt nervous. Well, it had to been put down anyway.

He pulled out the gun he had…borrowed from Daryl and aimed it at the walker. It kept moving and Carl couldn’t aim the gun correctly. He stepped closer and tried for a better aim. But he had underestimated the walker’s anger and strength. It suddenly freed one of its legs and stepped forward to lung at him.

Carl screamed. In his surprise, he fell onto his butt and dropped his gun. The walker also fell down with him. He screamed louder as the walker grabbed his leg and pulled him closer. Carl was reaching half-blindly for his gun when its jaw closed around his leg and fear and regret filled him as Carl thought he was going to die then and there.

But instead of pain, he felt nothing. He looked down to see the walker biting at his leg angrily but something stopped it from getting a bite. A shimmer of golden light appeared every time the walker’s teeth was about to make contact, protecting his leg from the teeth. Now that he looked at it, a shimmer of that golden light was also protecting him from the walkers nails even though it still could grab him. Carl took this as his chance to escape and kicked the walker’s head away while pulling free his leg before running back the path towards the farm, leaving the walker snarling and growling furiously behind.

While running, he wondered what had happened and then remembered the bracelet his dad had tied around his ankle. It worked! The protection bracelet had protected him from the walker!

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“So…”

Harry looked up from his place to find Rick watching him. “Yes?”

“I think we should send Randall away first thing tomorrow. What do you think? Is he strong enough to make it out there on his own?” Rick asked.

Harry hummed and then snapped closed the book in his hands. “I think so. Yes, he’s strong enough, I think. It’s not like I’m going to dump him someplace dangerous. I’m planning to leave him somewhere that’s walker free for the moment at least. You never know when a herd…”

Rick nodded. “Good, that’s good. Then everyone can be more relaxed without him around anymore.”

“I don’t think that has anything to do with the tension,” Harry snorted, “Unless you’re suggesting that I leave with Randall, too? As in…don’t come back here?”

“No! Of course not!” Rick looked panicked for second, “Did someone tell you that?”

Harry raised an eyebrow at his reaction. “Nooo,” he drawled out the word, “But from your reaction, I guess someone suggested it.”

The other man paled and then flustered again. “Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion but no one has the right to decide that. We decide things together. And if someone doesn’t wanna leave, then no one can force them,” Rick said firmly.

His eyebrow didn’t lower even a bit, but Harry nodded in understanding. He paused his movement when he felt a ripple.

“What is it?” Rick asked when he saw his reaction.

“Recharging time,” Harry grimaced. Standing up, he stretched his body until the knots and kinks in his muscles left with every crack. “I haven’t found a better ward yet so…”

Rick’s eyes lit up in understanding. Dale had told them all about what Harry did for the ward after all. “Can I watch?” he asked.

“It’s boring. It’s not like you’re gonna able to see anything other than me standing like a cross doing nothing,” Harry shrugged. “But you’re welcome to.”

And just like he said, Harry was only standing a little away from the house with his arms stretched to his side, palms facing the sky and nothing else. Rick squinted here and there, trying to figure out what he was doing. He thought there really was nothing he could watch and do when suddenly the air felt thicker than before, like an unseen tension fell upon him. He looked around and then there was a flicker of light. Rick gasped as a giant transparent dome flickered to life over the house and the campsite, he wouldn’t have seen it at all if the sky wasn’t dark enough from the sunset, and then it faded into nothing, but the tension was still in the air and Harry still wasn’t moving from his position.

“Whoa…” Rick breathed softly. It was really there.

After a few minutes, Dale came into view and was surprised when he saw Rick there. The men exchanged smiles and simply watched Harry together without any word.

“How long does this usually last?” Rick asked a few moments later.

“Ten to fifteen minutes tops,” Dale shrugged.

“It’s almost time, then. He’s been like that for a while,” Rick said.

And true to his words, the thickness in the air suddenly disappeared and Harry slumped to the ground without warning. Rick exclaimed in surprise and even Dale looked shocked at that. The two men ran towards the unmoving figure on the ground. Dale was the first one to reach Harry. He turned Harry over to find him unconscious, his eyelids fluttered a little from the movement of his eyes underneath.

“Harry? Harry, are you all right?” Dale patted the young man’s cheeks to get some reaction.

Harry groaned as his eyes fluttered open, he looked dazed. Rick and Dale looked at him worriedly.

“Harry, can you hear us?” Rick asked.

“I’m hungry…” Harry mumbled. As if to prove his words, the wizard’s stomach growled in protest. “Forgot to have lunch…”

Both of the older men sighed in relief. Rick let out a little laugh while Dale shook his head disapprovingly.

“I told you, you have to take better care of yourself. The ward has strained you enough when you’re in top condition but to recharge it while you’re not? You’re so reckless,” Dale rebuked.

Harry giggled nervously, “Sorry…”

“Come on,” Dale pulled him up with Rick’s help. “Let’s get you inside and get something to eat.”

“Okay…”

“Dad! Harry! What’s going on?” Carl asked as he came running towards them.

“Nothing, Carl. Just Harry exhausting himself,” Rick told him.

“Here, let me help,” Carl offered as he took a spot at Harry’s side and helped him move.

“Thank you, Carl,” Harry said, “I can walk by myself, though.”

The boy shrugged, “Better be safe than sorry. Besides, you saved me once. It’s the least I can do.”

Rick looked pleased at this. He was glad that Carl seemed to have got over his anger and budding hatred towards Harry. He let both Carl and Dale help Harry towards the house. He looked up to a spot in the sky where he now knew the ward was. Maggie was right. Harry had done so much without them knowing and they had been so ungrateful towards him, not knowing wasn’t an excuse to behave like they had.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Lori scowled when she saw Harry come into the kitchen with Dale and Carl on his sides. He walked on his own, but the old man and the boy looked like they were ready to help if his steps faltered even a bit. She didn’t say anything though when she saw the frown Maggie threw at her and tried to control her expression back to neutral.

“What is it?” Maggie asked the men, “You don’t look good, Harry.”

“Just forgot to get some lunch,” Harry waved off her concern as he slumped down a chair.

Dale snorted. “And passed out after he recharged the ward because of it.”

“Is there anything Harry can eat here, Maggie?” Carl asked as he also slipped into a chair across from the wizard.

“Of course. I’ll fix something up for you,” Maggie said immediately.

“Sorry for troubling you,” Harry looked apologetic.

“We’re about to cook for dinner anyway. And you, sir,” Maggie pointed a butter knife she was using to make a sandwich, “We’re going to have a long talk about a healthy diet and lifestyle. You’re a doctor, Harry. You should know better.”

“Doctors can be the biggest hypocrites sometimes,” Patricia joined in, “They tell people to have a healthy life but they themselves are functioning on caffeine only. They make the worst patients too.”

“Indeed,” Dale chuckled as everyone laughed under Harry’s playful glare.

Lori stomped out of the room and was annoyed when it went unnoticed. Harry smiled in thanks when Maggie placed a plate of sandwiches in front of him. She slapped Carl’s hand lightly when the boy was about to steal a piece before handing him his own plate.

“How’s Beth?” Harry asked between bites.

“She’s okay, now. But still spending most of her time in bed. Dad’s with her at the moment. They spent the day talking,” Maggie told him.

Harry hummed. “What about you, Carl? What did you do all day?”

The boy choked at the unexpected question. “Nothing, just exploring the farm.”

“As long as you didn’t go into the woods alone,” Dale said.

“No! Of course not,” Carl lied, “So…when are you going to let Randall go? Is it tomorrow?”

“Yeah, your dad wants me to do it first thing in the morning,” Harry nodded.

“We’ve packed some supplies for him, what little things we can spare at least,” Maggie informed him as she and Patricia worked around the kitchen, preparing dinner.

“Where is he anyway?”

“In Jimmy’s room with T-Dog and Jimmy. Said he wanted to get some rest after being told to walk all day,” Patricia said.

Everyone nodded in acceptance.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The night crept upon the farm. Dinner went by without any incident though there was an invisible tension that was unlike the usual. Rick had been ignoring Lori though he was trying not to be obvious about it, he tried to cover it up by having discussion with Hershel and Dale. Lori was annoyed at him and later angry at Shane when the man avoided her eyes when she tried to find out what was up with her husband. Instead, Shane seemed to be in deep whispered discussion with Glenn at their corner down the table. Carl was deep in thought.

Randall had joined them for dinner for the first and the last time. He begged for the chance of not being put to sleep with magic anymore on the promise that he would behave until they sent him away. He ate under the watchful eye of T-Dog. Randall tried to hit on Maggie at first – turned out they went to the same school in the past – but then the boy wilted under Glenn and Hershel’s murderous glares. Harry, Daryl and Andrea were outside with their own dinner.

The rest were eating quietly.

“This is a bad idea,” Harry said flatly.

“I agree,” Shane nodded firmly.

They both stood before Rick with their arms crossed, one looking at the leader everyone anonymously chose with disbelief while the other glared at him like he was an idiot. Everyone was a little amused at how in sync the former lovers were, thinking the same thought and voicing the same opinion, backing each other up without even realizing it.

“Look, it’s his last night here. If he doesn’t want to be put into sleep with magic, I think we have to respect that. He promised to behave, remember?” Rick said to them in exasperation.

“And you’re gonna believe the word of a thug that shot at one of our own?” Shane asked in disbelief.

“I didn’t want to, but if I didn’t do as they said, I’d get into trouble. Please, I promise I will behave. I just don’t want any more freaky magic on me. You would get your chance tomorrow anyway,” Randall whined from his place on the couch. Harry and Shane shut him up with an expressionless look and a glare.

“Rick, remember our talk about you being unable to make the right choices? Do you wanna know why? That’s because of your misplaced compassion,” Shane said bluntly.

“Shane…”

“You grant this kid his wish, he will stab you in the back and bring trouble to us,” Shane cut him off.

“Like you said, it’s his last night here. If we do something, better do it all the way till the end. Better not risk it. I say I put him to sleep again,” Harry said firmly.

“He has rights too, you know. If he doesn’t want to be put under your spell then he has the right to it. He’s just a boy, a terrified boy,” Lori said in support of her husband.

“He’s a boy who worked for thugs with guns that wanna take over the farm if what Rick was saying about them was true, who shoot first and ask questions later, who know about what we have in store for him and yes, he’s terrified but that’s all the more reason to put him under the sleeping spell to spare him the stress and prevent him from doing something stupid,” Harry gritted his teeth, glaring at her.

“Just because you love to control people with your power…”

“What?” Harry let out an incredulous laugh. “If I want people under my control, you would be the first to fall under it!”

“You son of a…”

“All right, everyone calm down…” Rick started.

“You’re going to get all of us into trouble granting that kid his wish,” Harry raised his voice. “While he probably was just a terrified kid being forced to do something he didn’t want, his people weren’t so innocent since they were the ones who gave him the orders! Do you really wanna risk all of us, Lori? Risk your son, your…baby! For him?! Or worse, just simply to antagonize me? I knew you were a judgmental and prejudiced bitch that hates me for some reason but I never thought you were willing to put everyone’s safety, including your own family’s at stake just to satisfy your one-sided animosity!”

“How dare you…!”

“HEY, HEY, HEY! EVERYONE CALM DOWN!!” Shane’s voice thundered them into silence.

Rick sighed. “Look, I was just asking, all right? Randall has a wish and I just thought the least we could do is consider it. And I agree with Shane and Harry, it’s too dangerous to let him be. I just didn’t want to dismiss him without considering his rights or discussing it with everyone. That’s not how we work.”

“Rick!” Lori protested.

“We don’t owe the boy anything, Rick. We already saved his life when his group left him to die. I say dismiss his wish,” Shane said.

“All right. Everyone?” Rick looked around.

“I just want him away from my girls,” Hershel said.

“I agree with Harry and Shane here,” Dale nodded. “We already risk so much and while I’m grateful we don’t stoop to the level of trying to kill a kid for our own safety, his knowledge of us is just too dangerous no matter how few they are.”

“I agree,” Andrea said from her place near the fireplace. Everyone else murmured and nodded in agreement.

“Please…” Randall whimpered.

“I don’t know…” Carol shrugged uncertainly. “I can’t help but think that he’s just a boy but…I don’t wanna take responsibility of any of this. You guys decide it.”

“He already knew what we did to him to ensure our safety all week and as he can see he’s still alive and well. I think he’s just planning something, maybe to run in the middle of the night,” T-Dog voiced his thought.

The way Randall paled a little before trying to hide his reaction convinced everyone to that theory.

“Fine. Harry,” Rick gestured to the boy.

Without any word from the wizard, a spell shot across the room and Randall fell to sleep on the couch but not without a terrified shout beforehand. Everyone paled and looked tense, but whether from the tension of the argument or the display of seemingly offensive magic, no one was sure. Lori glared hatefully at Harry, in betrayal at Shane and in disappointment at Rick before stomping loudly out of the house.

She was pissed. Once again, everyone listened to that freak more than to her. Granted, Shane and Rick were of the same opinion and their decision would be the same in the end, but they didn’t even come to her defense when that freak accused her of terrible things. It wasn’t like that at all! How dare he!! She would never risk her family’s safety for that boy. They could very well handcuff him to the bed or use any other normal human ways to ensure he wouldn’t escape. She just didn’t think it was wise to give the freak the freedom to make decisions for them or use his magic whenever he wants. Once again the freak took more control of the situation than the real leader of the group and no one even noticed! They should put some boundaries on him for everyone’s safety. A lot of boundaries, in fact. Can’t have him shooting spells any time he wanted… Lori gasped in a harsh breath, hand coming up to her chest to sooth the burning feeling, but kept on walking like nothing happened. What if he really made good on his threat with the paternity spell?

Everyone sighed at the scene. Carl looked confused and uncertain; he looked to his father for guidance. Rick sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose to keep the headache he could feel coming at bay.

“All right everyone,” Shane clapped to get everyone attention. “Problem solved. Let’s go back to the campsite. Anyone on the lookout shift, grab your weapons and go to your post. The rest of us can go to sleep. It’s been a long day.”

“You heard the man,” Rick told them. And then he paused as his eyes landed on Randall’s form.

“We can leave him there,” Harry said at the question in his eyes. “He won’t wake up until I end the spell. But we could also move him to the bedroom if you want.”

“The bedroom,” Rick decided. “Don’t need him to get sick from sleeping out here when he’ll need to be in top condition tomorrow.”

“I’ll help you move him,” Shane said. Harry looked at him weirdly. “What?”

But Harry just looked at him funny, his lips twitched in smug amusement as he waved his hand and Randall’s body floated to the air and went down the small corridor to Jimmy’s room smoothly, not even once bumping into anything or anyone. Shane flushed.

“Right. Magic,” Shane cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Everyone chuckled and dispersed then. Daryl motioned with his head to Harry and the younger man nodded and followed him. Shane looked like he wanted to call him back but both men were already out of the door. Not once did Harry look back at him, unlike last week. He groaned at his own cowardice and looked up to see Glenn looking at him with sympathy and understanding which only vexed him instead of comforting him. He stormed out of the house in agitation, following the other members of the group.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Harry was lying on his back and just staring at the tent above him. He couldn’t sleep. All he could think about was how Shane had been acting this evening. He got this funny feeling that Shane had been trying to catch his attention but quickly disposed of that thought. That was just wishful thinking on his part and he didn’t need that when he was trying to let go of the man. He had been holding on to his anger and pain to keep himself from mooning over the man. He finally was able to speak in front of Shane without having to gather his courage first or stumbling on his first few words pathetically, he was even able to make snide comments and jabs at the man. He wasn’t about to undo his own progress by clinging on to a false hope, no matter how much he wanted to be in Shane’s arms again. He just felt so safe there…and so complete.

But that was also one of the reasons why he had been holding himself back. Shane had doubted the sincerity of their relationship. Saying that it progressed too fast to be normal. At first Harry thought it was just him being a pathetic and clingy naïve bastard that clutched onto the first person who returned his interest in him. But then he realized it was deeper than that. He was ready to say the “L” word to Shane a week ago, which really wasn’t normal because this was him, Harry Bloody Potter, they were talking about. He never said it to anyone, not even Ginny when they were still together. He never told anyone that only that they were important and meant so much to him.

Life at the Dursley’s made him wary of that expression. That was why it was so difficult to say the word. But he was ready to say it to Shane just to not lose him. He guessed he was fortunate to stop himself in time or he would’ve looked even more pathetic than he was now and more heartbroken too. But still, this realization brought things to his mind. What was going on with him? Was this really just him clinging to the first person who cared for him since the apocalypse…since he left Britain, because he was afraid to be alone or was this something else? Because if it was just him being clingy then why didn’t he feel the same with Daryl? He only felt brotherly affection towards the man, though that was already a lot too in such a short time.

“You’re thinkin’ to loud,” Daryl grumbled from his side of the tent, making Harry jump in surprise.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to disturb your sleep,” Harry said.

“It’s nothin’…” Daryl opened his eyes. “Whatcha thinking about anyway?”

“Nothing…”

Daryl got on his elbows and looked at him with narrowed eyes. Harry couldn’t decide whether that was because he was suspicious or because it was dark in the tent. Then Daryl snickered unexpectedly.

“Can’t get over the fact that your eyes glow in the dark,” Daryl said snickering.

“Ha. Ha. Ha,” Harry snarked at him.

Before anything else could be said, though, a scream rang through the painfully silent night and then a gunshot. Both men were immediately on their feet. Daryl grabbed his crossbow and followed Harry shooting out of the tent. They ran like hell towards the source of the scream. There were more shouts as people also ran towards the sound. It was from the barn.

When they arrived, it was chaos. Rick and Dale were kneeling beside Otis who was bleeding on the ground with his guts torn open. Dale was whispering reassurance at the injured man. A walker was lying with its head blown up. Shane was checking around for another threat with his weapon aiming forward. T-Dog was crying for help. Others were running towards them, including Hershel. The women gasped at the horrifying scene.

“Harry, help!!” Rick shouted the moment he saw him.

Harry increased his pace and quickly sliding to his knees as soon as he was there. Everyone stepped aside to give him way. The Elder wand appeared in his hand not from command but from the urgency Harry felt. Otis was choking on his blood. Harry immediately muttered his best blood-clotting charm as fast as he could before the man could die from blood loss, next he checked for any damaged organs and when he found none, he quickly closed the wound. Everyone sighed and laughed in relief when he banished all the blood and saw no marks on Otis.

“Great job, Harry,” Dale clasped him on the shoulder.

“I still feel the pain…” Otis groaned.

“It’s just a left over pain. After an injury like that, I’m not surprised,” Harry said stoically. He summoned his potions kit and searched around for a little while before finding the potion he needed. “This is pain reliever. Drink it.”

Otis took the potion hesitantly but sighed in relief as soon as he drunk the potion. The pain left almost immediately.

“Otis!!” Someone had gone to get Patricia and she came running right into her husband’s arms.

Otis cried out in surprise and then laughed.

“You did great, Harry,” Rick grinned widely at him but then the grin fell when he saw the look on Harry’s face. The wizard didn’t look relieved or glad or anything. He looked stoic, almost regretful.

“What is it?”

“It doesn’t matter that I healed the wound,” he said.

“What?” Everyone turned to him.

“Otis already got scratched…Merlin, he was torn apart. Whatever makes people turn into walkers, it’s already in his system,” Harry explained regretfully. “He might feel fine now, but it’s going to take its toll on him soon.”

“No…can’t you do something? With your potions or spells? Please?” Patricia pleaded.

Harry shook his head. “I can’t. We don’t even know what makes the walkers, so I don’t know how to treat it.”

“But you’re a wizard! You have magic!”

“And my people are gone. Don’t you think that they would still be here if they knew how to treat this? There were a lot of experts in the healing field and they still lost the war. I’m just an average doctor who did some studying on the side.”

“No!” Patricia wailed into her husband’s neck.

Otis hugged her tightly.

“But…you healed him almost right away. Maybe it won’t get him,” Rick said, “Maybe it didn’t get the time to get into his system, right?”

“That’s right. Maybe Otis will be fine,” Dale said hopefully.

Harry looked at their hopeful faces in regret. “I don’t think so,” he said as he looked over Otis’s shoulder. His eyes started to glow. “He’s here for him after all.”

“He? He who?” Otis asked as he tried to turn around and look.

“You won’t see him,” Harry said as he stood up and patted the dirt off his jeans.

“There’s really nothing you can do?” Hershel asked.

“I can’t do anything…”

“Can’t or won’t?” Lori asked with an accusing glare. “I know I’ve been accusing you with many things…but after all of the self-righteousness you’ve shown and how everyone defended you, you’re still going to let one of us die? Look at them! How could you be so heartless?!”

“Lori…” Rick called.

Harry glared at her, “It’s his time, Lori. Or else none of this would’ve happened.”

“His time to what? To die? Who are you to decide that?!”

“I didn’t decide it!” Harry shouted, frustrated. “A reaper is already here for him! Nothing I can do will make any difference now! The means to kill him have already got to him. All we can do now is wait and watch while I try to make it as painless as possible for him. No matter what I do, no matter how much we beg it to be different, he WILL die! Because Death has already claimed his soul!”

“I don’t believe you,” Lori hissed at him.

“Lori, enough!” Rick said. “If he said there’s nothing we can do then there’s nothing we can do.”

“I don’t believe him, Rick! Ever since he joined us, everything went to hell! I don’t trust him at all! Who said that he’s not the one who got the walker here? The only time a walker got into the farm was when someone brought them here. Walkers never wander into the farm on their own!”

“I don’t care if you believe me or not! Your accusation is ridiculous and your opinion is nothing to me,” Harry spat at her.

“So you will just let him die? What if that’s one of us? What if it’s Dale? Or Daryl? Or…or Shane?!” she asked again.

Harry growled. “You gonna use him against me now? After everything you did to make sure he’s back under your thumb, why do you think I would care if it were him sitting there in Otis’s place? Or if it was you? I would gladly leave you to die if it’s you. It’s nothing less than what you deserve!”

The slap came out of nowhere. Harry felt a pain and something tasted coppery flooded his mouth then realized he had accidentally bit the inside of his mouth because of the slap. There were gasps all around. Harry spat the blood to the ground as he felt someone pulled him behind them. It was Daryl.

“Lori!!” Rick pulled her away.

“Mom!” Carl looked appalled.

“Let me go, Rick!” Lori struggled out of his grip but failed.

“Back off, bitch,” Daryl said pointing his crossbow at her.

She froze at the sight of the weapon. Rick and Shane moved at once, aiming their own weapons at the redneck.

“Lower your weapon, Daryl,” Rick warned.

“Control your bitch of a wife first, Officer Friendly,” Daryl sneered.

“You bastard…!”

“Lori! Enough!!” Shane shouted at her. “You’ve caused more than enough problems for all of us! There are more important things to do at the moment!”

Lori looked at him in disbelief and betrayal before glaring hatefully. The look in her eyes held a promise that he would regret not taking her side. But he didn’t care. He already did enough mistakes and hearing what they did to Harry to made him not care whether Shane was dying or not…it hurt. It was painful to hear that but Shane knew he deserved it. He knew winning Harry back wouldn’t be easy, more than ever now that he heard this confession so he wasn’t going to make more mistakes to make the situation worse. He didn’t care if Lori was angry at him or not.

“Shane’s right. Back off, Lori,” Rick pulled her away towards Carl. “Why don’t you take care of Carl while we take care of this, all right?”

Lori opened her mouth to protest but then she looked at the faces of everyone, they all were frowning and looking at her disapprovingly, so she gritted her teeth and shut up, turning away from them with a huff and pulled Carl into her arms. Daryl was satisfied enough to lower his crossbow. Rick and Shane followed after him.

“How did this thing get this far into the farm anyway?” T-Dog asked, kicking at the dead walker.

“I don’t know. That thing came out of nowhere. Dale found one of the animals with its guts torn out and then the next moment, the walker was suddenly there. It didn’t even make a sound. Not a groan or growl or even a moan. No footsteps either. I just jumped in reflex and pushed Dale away,” Otis told him.

“We have to be more careful,” Rick said.

“They never wandered into the farm before,” Hershel frowned.

“There are probably others,” T-Dog said worriedly.

“We’ll think about what to do about it tomorrow. Now everyone get back to the camp,” Rick decided.

“Harry, Daryl, you guys probably want to move back to be safer. I don’t want you guys too far from the camp or the house,” Shane suddenly spoke up.

“That’s probably for the best,” Rick nodded in approval.

Harry and Daryl looked at each other.

“You both can stay in the house,” Hershel said to them. “If what you said is true, then we will need your help to watch over Otis’s condition later.”

“All right, then,” Harry nodded. Daryl just shrugged.

At the corner of his eyes, Harry thought he saw Shane look disappointed but then dismissed that thought immediately.

**~ To be continued ~**


	21. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, I’m officially off the ffnet. Why? Because of so many problems I had with the previous ISP and three days of unable to connect to the internet (lousy service, seriously) had got me into so many troubles with my job. So I set up a wifi connection for more stable connection. Sadly, the only reliable one in my country right now is the one called Speedy and it also blocks ffnet. There’s another one called Wigo but it’s still pretty new and I haven’t heard any review for that one yet so I don’t think I’d risk it. That’s why I have much, much better and reliable connection now but also unable to access ffnet.  
> You guys who have been forced to move to Ao3 or my blog to read the story...I’m so sorry for the inconvenience. And for those reviews that I’ve been unable to reply on ffnet, I’m also so sorry, but I did get them through email and I want to thank you for all of your kind words and enthusiasm. I hope this new chapter is as good as you guys hope it to be~  
> My blog’s address is iksia.blogspot.com. You won’t find much of anything there, though. I just started. And please spread the words. Thank you~

Otis and Patricia retreated to their room as soon as they stepped into the house. Glenn had helped the man walk just in case he was still weak from his attack, otherwise Hershel would have done it and he just didn’t have the heart to let the old man do a strenuous job like that. It was also an excuse to see Maggie again now that she was willing to give him another chance; they were going to talk earlier when they heard the scream. Harry and Daryl went to clean up their campsite first before retreating back to the Greene house later. Everyone else was back at the campsite and more alert with the lookout. They didn’t want to be caught off guard again.

Two hours later, Otis started to have a fever. The fever-reducing potion helped a little but barely. Most people in the house couldn’t sleep and the ones that did were restless in their sleep. Dale kept coming every hour to check on everyone. He was feeling very guilty, as Otis had gotten hurt because he was trying to protect him.

“This shouldn’t have happened. He shouldn’t have pushed me out of the way. He wasn’t even supposed to be there. I’d have been fine with Harry’s protection charm,” Dale said guiltily.

“It was a reflex. Anyone would have done the same. Otis is a good man,” Hershel assured.

“All of this because he wanted to give me a hot cup of coffee of all things…” Dale said.

“He gave it to all of us who did the lookout. It wasn’t just you, Dale,” Glenn said.

“If he didn’t do that, something else would’ve happened that would’ve resulted in his death anyway,” Harry said from his place at the table, “Like falling down the stairs and breaking his neck.”

“What are you doing, Harry?” Maggie asked as she placed cups of tea in front of everyone who was still awake.

“Protection charm,” Harry replied as he kept working on the charm, “Should have done it a week ago but I forgot…didn’t even cross my mind. It was stupid, especially with you going into town for supply runs sometimes… Too self-centered, too caught up in my own drama and self pity and now Otis will die.”

“But Harry…like you said, if this didn’t happen, something else would’ve because it’s Otis’s time, right? Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Maggie said.

“But then at least it wouldn’t happen because of my carelessness…again. Don’t comfort me please, I don’t deserve it,” Harry said softly, “Give me your finger, Hershel.”

Hershel frowned but offered his hand. He was surprised when Harry pricked his finger with a needle until it bled. Then he held it above the charm he was making, letting three drops of blood drop onto the charm. The blood was absorbed into the thing and Harry tied it around his wrist expertly. He was very quick about it Hershel could blink and shiver in surprise. Then the wound closed with a tingle.

“You shiver or something?” Harry asked.

“Yeah…”

“Good. Means it’s working,” Harry was back to the next charm before anyone else could say anything. He plucked a strand of hair from Maggie’s head, earning a startled yelp from her.

“What is that for?” she asked.

“It’s for the charm,” Dale explained. “He usually uses hair but for those of us who don’t have enough hair, he uses blood.”

“What’s the difference?” Glenn asked.

“Nothing. They’re the same. Just different in design,” Harry said, “Most wizards just don’t like sharing their blood because you can do a lot of things with it. Most of blood magic is considered dark.”

“So this is dark magic?” Hershel eyed the bracelet warily.

“No, it’s for protection after all so it’s considered light everywhere but in Britain,” Harry said. “The British Wizarding World is…was a very narrow-minded bunch and full of prejudice from both the Light and the Dark side. All blood magic is considered dark no matter the function.”

“I see…”

Hours ticked by. Dale had gone and fallen asleep on the couch; he refused to go back until he heard more news on Otis. Hershel had gone to sleep in his own room; he couldn’t fight the exhaustion anymore. Maggie was the same. Glenn went back to the camp, either for lookout or for sleep, Harry didn’t know. Daryl had nodded off for a bit but then stayed awake for the most part and chose to keep a lookout on his own from the front porch. Otis’s fever had gotten worse as the night progressed. Patricia stayed by his side all the time but was told to call for someone if she wanted to rest, it wouldn’t do after all for her to fall asleep beside Otis and then for him to die and turn without anyone noticing. Harry checked on them now and then just in case and he kept his senses open to make it easier. He didn’t like doing it, opening his senses like this, because the world was so empty now, voided of so many lifes when it was overwhelming before.

Everyone jumped in surprise when the shouts started. They ran to Otis’s room expecting the worse only to find Otis cowering in the corner while Patricia tried to calm him down without success. The hallucinations had started. Harry shot him with a stunning spell and levitated him to the bed.

“What’s happening?” Patricia cried.

“He’s hallucinating. This is part of it. It will only get worse from here. I’m gonna give him a calming draught and dreamless sleep potion to calm him down and to help him sleep peacefully. Is that okay with you?” Harry asked softly.

Patricia just nodded mutely; her face was drenched with tears.

Everyone went back to their previous positions after that, feeling grimmer than before as they knew what this meant. Otis’s death was getting closer. Dale slumped onto the couch with a loud sigh. Harry pitied the man, as he knew Dale was a man of high morals and right now he was feeling guilty for what had happened even though he knew it wasn’t his fault.

“It’s not your fault, Dale,” Harry said, sitting next to him.

“I know that, but still…”

By dawn, everyone was asleep in his or her last position. Daryl just finished his lookout and decided to sleep only to jump in surprise when a wail rang through the air. He jumped out of the chair he was sitting on at the porch. Everyone from the campsite had woken up and was now running towards the house. Harry almost fell out of the couch where he was sleeping, leaning against Dale. He was also the first who reached Otis and Patricia’s room.

The poor woman was crying into her husband’s chest. Harry could see the chest was still from any movement. He also looked ashen, dead. The man had died slowly in his sleep and so peacefully that Harry, in his exhaustion, didn’t even notice. Everyone came and stopped just outside of the room and realized what happened quickly. The air filled with grief and sadness. Maggie came up to Patricia’s side and tried to comfort her and pull her away from the body, in case Otis was one of those walkers that turn quickly.

“Patricia, step aside please. We have to take care of him,” Harry said softly.

“Give the poor woman some time, you heartless freak. This is your fault for not saving him,” Lori said hatefully towards him. She was probably still holding a grudge from what Harry had said about leaving her to die last night, Harry thought.

“Lori, it’s too early for this and definitely the wrong time,” Rick warned.

She huffed and stormed away. Some of the people shook their head in disappointment and disbelief at the way she acted.

“I’m gonna leave you guys then,” Harry said, “But just in case he turns…”

“No,” Patricia said in midst of her grief. “I don’t want him to turn. Please, do whatever you have to do. I just don’t wanna be away from him.”

“All right, then,” Harry said and pulled out his wand, but a hand stopped him. He looked over to see Daryl with a knife in hand. The redneck nodded at him and pushed him aside.

“Daryl…”

“It’s okay,” the redneck said. He went to the other side of the bed and slipped a hand under Otis’s head, cradling it while his other hand slowly slipped the blade of the knife into the back of his skull. With a soft squishing sound, the deed was done. “I’m gonna dig the hole,” he said as he wiped the knife on a towel on the bedside table.

“I’ll get the shovels and help ya,” T-Dog nodded.

“Can you guys give me a moment please?” Patricia asked.

“Patricia…” Maggie called worriedly.

“Maggie,” Hershel called her, nodding with his head towards the door.

“I want to say goodbye,” Patricia told her.

“All right, then,” Maggie sighed, “Call us when you’re ready, all right?”

Patricia nodded. Beth whispered in Harry’s ear and the man nodded at her. They moved around and cleaned up all the stuff that had been used to treat Otis last night. Harry put a bandage over the knife wound Daryl made on Otis for Patricia’s comfort, while discretely checking and getting all of the potential weapons out of the room before leaving. Everyone looked at them in puzzlement when he closed the door behind him.

“I don’t want her to do something stupid in her grief,” Beth said softly, looking at the floor. “Like me…”

“That’s very wise of you, Beth,” Hershel praised her with a smile.

“Yeah, that was a good idea,” Rick nodded approvingly.

“We need a plan to prevent this from happening again,” Shane said.

“All right. Let’s plan,” Rick nodded.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Later, after they buried Otis in a small burial ceremony near the other graves of the fallen ones, Rick had everyone in the group patrol the farm in case there were more walkers and check on the fences to see if there was a breach. Dale unexpectedly offered to join them. They went around the land in Otis’s blue truck. They found quite a few walkers on the land. It was surprising that they didn’t find them before, but then again Hershel owned a pretty big farm.

Everyone witnessed how angry Dale was for what had happened. He was feeling very guilty and it showed in his eagerness and the vicious way he attacked the walkers, something very unusual for a man who detested violence. Feeling sympathetic towards their elder friend, everyone was just as vicious, focusing all of their hatred and misery since the outbreak and the Greene’s grief towards the walkers. They didn’t find any breach on the fences, so that meant they only had the woods to worry about since there was nothing to stop the walkers from wandering into the farm from the woods. They just had to settle with patrolling but this time, everyone would have partner to prevent the same incident like the night before from happening again.

When they returned, Hershel told them his worries about the campsite being so exposed and having no walls to protect them in case walkers came. He offered them all to stay in the house. Hershel didn’t like strangers and he had made it obvious that he wanted them to leave when the time came so this was surprising to them all but very welcome. So they started to pack everything and move it to the house.

“It’ll be tight, sixteen people in one house,” Rick said to Hershel.

“Don’t worry about that,” the older man said. “With the swamp hardening, the creek drying up…”

“With fifty head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell,” Maggie added.

“She’s right…we should’ve moved you in a while ago,” Hershel nodded.

“All right, let’s move the vehicles near each of the doors, facing out for the road. We’ll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us a view of both sides of the property,” Rick told everyone. “T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going.”

“What about standing guard?” he asked.

“I need you and Daryl on double duty,” Rick said.

“Gotcha,” T-Dog nodded.

“I’ll stock the basement with food and water, enough that we can all survive there for a few days if need be,” Hershel told them as he helped them pack.

“What about patrols?” Andrea asked.

“Let’s get this area locked down first,” Rick said. “After that, Shane’ll assign shifts while me and Harry take Randall offsite and cut him loose.”

“Wait, you’re going with Harry?” Lori stopped in her tracks as she heard that, frowning.

“I can’t let him go alone. That wouldn’t be fair. Besides what if he needs help?” Rick shrugged.

“But going with him alone? You can’t trust him, Rick, especially after last night. He already told us right to our faces that he’s willing to leave us to die if something happens,” Lori protested.

“He said something about it being Otis’s time. There was a whole bunch of things we didn’t understand, Lori. Glenn told me about it after Maggie explained it to him last night and while I don’t like it, I say that Harry did the right thing,” Rick said firmly.

“How could you say that?!”

“He told you about what?” Shane asked.

“That if we’d forced Harry to save Otis last night, not that we would be able to do that, and he succeed with some miracle…there’s a possibility something else would happen that would kill others as a compensation for Otis’s life. His life was claimed. If you try to prevent his death, others have to die in his place. It’s something about him cheating death and becoming an anomaly that would bring nothing but chaos and death everywhere he goes.”

“And you believe that? That sounds like a ridiculous excuse!” Lori spat.

“I don’t know, okay? All I know is that I wasn’t about to risk my family’s life for someone who couldn’t be saved anyway. No matter what the situation, Harry couldn’t help Otis because he doesn’t know the cure for this thing so all his efforts were pointless anyway,” Rick snapped.

“All right, hey calm down,” Shane told them, “Like you said, Rick, how about we have this place locked down first, all right?”

“All right,” Rick nodded.

Lori huffed at them and stormed away angrily.

“You think that’s the mood swings or what?” Shane asked after she was out of earshot.

Rick chuckled. “I don’t know, man. I’m just tired of it.”

“Yeah…come on, Rick. Let’s get this thing moving,” Shane clapped him on the back.

Andrea loaded the last box they had and slammed the truck door closed. Shane turned up the engine and drove for the house. The revving of Daryl’s bike was heard as he rode to the house from behind. Everyone else was walking with boxes and bags and other things in their hands that couldn’t be loaded into the full truck anymore.

“Just so you know, I’ve got no more patience where Shane’s concerned,” Hershel said as he walked side by side with Rick. “Not after everything with the barn and then Harry…”

“He’s turning over a new leaf,” Rick assured him.

“Rick’s right,” Dale said as he caught up with them. “He got a temper and can be blindsided easily but I think he’s trying. Just…give him a chance.”

Hershel looked at him and then nodded, “In the mean time, just make sure he keeps his nose clean.”

“Thank you,” Rick said to Dale.

“Nah,” Dale waved him off.

“Andrea,” Rick called when he saw her.

She turned around and waited for them.

“When I’m out with Harry, help Hershel keep an eye on things around here,” Rick told her.

“You’re going out with Harry?”

“To free Randall. I don’t want him go alone in case he needs help or something. I was gonna ask Shane to go with him but you know…”

“Ah yes…but, me?” Because they all knew the moment Rick wasn’t there, it was Shane that was in charge. He was his partner after all, and their leader before Rick.

“Shane’s got a way of letting things get out of hand, especially when he’s all torqued up.”

“I think we’re all a bit torqued up at this point.”

“If you’re staying here permanently, he’s got to understand that it’s what Rick and I say, not whatever he wants,” Hershel said firmly.

“You’ve become close,” Rick said to her.

“We talk,” Andrea nodded, eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

“Then you know he’s not a bad guy. He’s just his own worst enemy,” Rick said.

“You want me to babysit Shane?” she asked incredulously as she started to get what he wanted.

Rick sighed. “I need to make sure every time I leave the farm all hell doesn’t break loose.”

“Then maybe you should stop leaving,” she shot in annoyance. She was no babysitter, especially to a grown man who she saw as more capable than Rick in protecting them.

“I don’t think you’ve got to worry about it that much, Rick,” Dale said. “But he’s right, Andrea. Shane’s got other things on his mind right now so maybe you could help with things when he’s not as focused as he should be.”

“Is there something wrong?” Andrea frowned.

“You know something, Dale?” Rick asked.

Dale smirked knowingly. “Let’s just say, he’s rethinking his decisions about recent things. You’ll know when you see it for yourself.”

And with that, he left the three of them behind in confusion. They swore he was almost skipping with his steps.

“He’s meddling with something, isn’t he?” Rick mused.

“He’s always meddling,” Andrea rolled her eyes.

“Would you keep an eye on things?” he asked.

“Of course.”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane was piling up all the wood he needed to build a lookout on the windmill Rick was talking about, but he did it absent-mindedly as his mind was on other things. He was feeling conflicted. He remembered being shocked as Harry said he was willing to leave them to die especially when it came to Lori and Shane. It was what he deserved but it was still shocking to hear because he thought Harry wasn’t that kind of person, willing to leave someone to die no matter what the reason.

Otis he could understand. Harry had healed him right away but couldn’t do anything about the walker…virus, as there wasn’t a cure for that. But if it were something else, would Harry do the same and stand aside? Rick said he understood and that Harry did the right thing. Shane wanted to believe that. Maybe there was something he didn’t know. Rick did know something though he couldn’t explain it very well. He should talk with Maggie later…if the girl was willing to talk to him that is. Shane was pretty sure he was in the top three of her most hated people list.

He also still had to find a way to talk to Harry, he groaned at that. Where was that bravery he was proud of when he needed it? It was so easy before with Harry but then he realized he hadn’t wronged Harry before, unlike this time.

“Hey, Shane?”

Shane looked up to see Carl approaching him, “What’s up, man? What’re you doing, wandering around by yourself?”

“If, um…if I tell you something, will you promise not to tell my parents?”

“I think it’s probably a bad idea for both of us, bud.”

Carl looked disappointed. He turned around and left quietly, the picture of dejection. Shane watched him go and sighed.

“Hey, Carl. Come on back,” he called the boy. Carl quickly made his way back before the older man changed his mind, but then he hesitated as Shane looked at him. “Go on,” Shane nodded encouragingly.

And with that, the revelation of what Carl did was out. Shane was frustrated. At first he was surprised and angry with Carl for playing with a stolen gun. But then he didn’t know what to say when Carl told him about the walker and blamed himself for Otis’s death. He realized then with Carl’s tendencies to go on his own, stupid Lori and Rick couldn’t keep more careful eyes on their son, anything could happen when they didn’t notice. He told Carl to keep the gun to protect himself since they couldn’t protect him all the time, but the boy was already scared and blaming himself, he refused and said the protection charm from Harry was enough and then ran away before Shane could change his mind.

Shane exhaled a big sigh of frustration. There was no way around. He had to tell Rick. That charm wasn’t going to last forever, Harry said that himself. Speaking of, he still never got his charm. Maybe Harry already threw his away in anger.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“What’s going on?” Randall asked.

Harry looked up. “What?”

“You woke me up really late and it’s like really tense around here and people are moving into the house?”

“Oh…a walker strayed in last night and Otis died from the attack,” Harry replied, “So everyone moved in for better protection.”

“Oh...sorry about that... But wouldn’t it be cramped with everyone inside?”

“Yeah, but you don’t have to worry about that. You’re gonna leave soon enough. We just have to deal with the moving first,” Harry shrugged, “You’re gonna behave, right? I don’t have to remind you of the consequences of trying to leave or anything?”

Randall nodded frantically at that, “I promise!”

“Good,” Harry nodded.

“Can I help?” Harry raised an eyebrow at that. “Maybe they will let me stay if I help?”

“Doubtful, but you’re welcome to try,” Harry shrugged.

The boy followed Harry to the living room. Everyone was moving around with things to do.

“What’s he doing up and around?” T-Dog asked as he saw them.

“He hopes that we will let him stay if he helps around and is being useful. I didn’t get his hopes up however,” Harry told him.

“That’s doubtful with Shane around,” T-Dog snorted but then handed the cooler box to Randall, “You’re welcome to try, though. Bring this to the kitchen and hand it over to whoever’s in charge there.”

“That would be Maggie and Beth,” Harry said as he stepped aside to let Randall pass.

“What about Patricia?”

“In her room. Doing nothing but staring into space,” Harry sighed.

“She’s grieving,” T-Dog said hesitantly.

“What?”

“Glenn told Rick about what Maggie told him last night, I happened to be around to listen. I know this must be hard for you because everyone looks up to you for help because of your magic, and I know I was a jerk towards you lately, but what happened to Otis…that’s not on you, just like it’s not on Dale. It just happened and there was nothing you could do,” T-Dog said.

Harry looked surprised and the only thing he could say was, “Thank you… big guy.”

T-Dog grinned a little at the nickname and went to finish moving things inside. There was still a lot of stuff in the truck. Harry went with him. They passed Lori carrying a basket of clothes. She scowled at the sight of him. Harry only raised an eyebrow at her, which made the scowl deepen.

“You can put your stuff upstairs in my room,” Maggie said.

Glenn looked up and stammered. Things between them were still awkward but it was getting better. “With your dad in the house?” Glenn almost squeaked. “I just…I’m just gonna put my stuff over there.”

Maggie smirked as he fled to the corner of the dining room that would be the men’s sleeping area.

“That’s evil,” Harry said as he passed by.

She giggled. “Give me that thing,” she said, taking the box from his hands.

Lori grunted with effort as she lifted the biggest box in the truck out. It was pretty heavy. She was about to move when T-Dog came out of the house.

“Whoa, whoa! Don’t…don’t strain yourself,” he said taking the box carefully from her. What was she thinking? She was pregnant!

“Thank you,” she smiled. He nodded and moved away with the box in hands when she saw Hershel approaching. “Rick and Carl and I are taking the corner of the living room,” she told him.

“You can put that in my room,” he said to her surprise. “You’ll be more comfortable there.”

“We can’t do that…”

“A pregnant woman and child sleeping on the floor while I’ve got a bed to myself?”

“This is still your house.”

“It’s our home,” he corrected. “I’ll take the couch downstairs. On nights when I came home reeking of bourbon, my wife would lock the bedroom door. I’m sad to say that couch and I become old friends.”

“Look, if you two can’t decide, I’ll take it,” T-Dog said coming up behind them to get another box.

“Thank you,” Lori said, touched.

“The couch is mine,” Hershel warned T-Dog as he moved away.

The other man grinned at him. “It’s gonna get real cozy real fast in here.”

“Besides, Harry’s occupying the living room too, I don’t think you guys would be a good mix,” Hershel said.

The smile fell from Lori’s face. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

“I just want to ask one thing from you.”

“Yeah?”

“Back off from Harry. I know you don’t like him, and don’t understand him and don’t even want to try to. You’re already set on your idea of him and nothing can change it, I get that. I’ve been there. But you saw how that turned out,” Hershel said, “I know that not everyone can get along, hell I can’t get along with Shane, but now that everyone will live in the house, the least you can do is stay out of each other’s way.”

“You can tell that to him,” Lori said a little snappily.

“Oh he never gets in your way, I’ve noticed that. It’s always you that’s trying to stir something up with him. If you don’t like him then stay away from him, just pretend he doesn’t exist. Anything really, so we won’t have a fight in the house. You got it?”

Lori clenched her jaw and nodded jerkily. “Can I ask you something? Why are you willing to accept him? To trust him? Magic is unnatural. You’re a devoted man, Hershel, so why do you accept him and even defend him?”

“I might be devoted, Lori, but I’m also not blind about certain prejudice things in the bible. But above all the things inside the bible, I just focus on the one thing that God wants us to learn. Love, acceptance, kindness…”

“Even when he’s willing to leave someone to die if it’s their ‘time’?”

“He explained that to Maggie, more than a week ago, long before Otis’s incident. And she explained it to me. The things that he explained are consistent with our own rules and beliefs; natural orders…balance between life and death…things like that. I understand that. My daughters understand that. So does Patricia. That’s why we aren’t angry with him because it wasn’t his fault.”

“But…”

“Do you always blame the doctor when he can’t save his patient’s life?”

“No…”

“Or do you blame God when things don’t go the way you want it to?”

“No, but…”

“It’s just the same thing you know. Blaming Harry for Otis’s death would be like blaming a doctor for failing to save his patient even after he tried.”

“He didn’t try…”

“He did. He didn’t have the cure for the walker’s bite, but he could’ve left Otis there on the ground, torn apart and bleeding to death, you know. But he didn’t. He healed him and used his potions, things that need precious ingredients that are hard to get at this time, even though he knew it was useless just to make Otis’s last moments easier. Otis died peacefully in his sleep, without pain or horrible nightmares, and we have Harry to thank for that,” Hershel looked at her with pity, “I think, Lori, that your problem with Harry isn’t about his magic. I think that’s just an excuse. I know I won’t be able to change your mind. No one but you can. But whatever your problem is, you just have to get over it because like it or not, we’re all going to live together from now on.”

Lori tightened her fists as she watched Hershel turn towards the house. She was indignant towards Hershel’s words but also feeling conflicted because whether she wanted to admit it or not, Hershel was right in some of the things he said, but on the other hand, she also knew he was wrong in other aspects. Her attention was pulled away by the sound of someone hammering in the distance. She turned around to see Shane up on the windmill, building a lookout post.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Wouldn’t that be easier if you waited for some help?”

“Ain’t no use in waiting for something that ain’t gonna come,” Shane didn’t have to look down to know it was Lori talking to him. “No, I’ll just…” he grunted as he tried to move a wood plank into place while holding onto the windmill, “…just do it all myself.”

“Yeah, you always do. Just like that time you showed up Rick by fixing our sink.”

“Yeah,” Shane laughed at the memory. “Just so you know, that’s not the reason your basement flooded. You can thank Rick for that…using rubber washers with a metal pipe.”

“Please come down,” Lori said.

He looked down at her. He didn’t know what she wanted, hopefully not about last night for he didn’t have the energy to deal with that right now, or ever. He already had enough shit to deal with. But the look on her face was saying that she wasn’t here to look for a fight. This was something else. So he climbed down the windmill while Lori waited patiently. He leaned against the car full of wood planks and tools waiting for her to say whatever it was she wanted to say.

“So after Sophia, I, uh…I thought ‘We’ll figure this out.’ You know, we’ll heal somehow. After Otis? Hell, it was almost Dale… This is real,” she said. There was an acceptance in her voice that was hardly there before every time their situation was shoved into their face. “And we can’t…keep it at bay. It’s already got us. And it just keeps coming, doesn’t it?”

Shane looked down at that.

“I made a mess of things. I put you and Rick at odds. I don’t even know whose baby this is,” she finally admitted. Shane looked up and she watching him with an apologetic look on her face. “I can’t imagine how hard that is on you. You led us out of Atlanta with no thought for yourself…Do you remember that night? The flames, the…” her voice broke and Shane was thrown back to months before, at the beginning of it all.

“And I’m sitting in your car thinking ‘We’re gonna be all right. He’s gonna make it all right. We’ll get out of here.’ And I never thanked you for that,” she said. “Even though things got…confused between us, you were there for me… You were there for me. Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me for that,” Shane said after a pause.

“Of course I do.”

“No, you…”

“Of course I do. Whatever happened between us, whatever the hell we thought it was…and not just you, but…I’m sorry, Shane. Please believe me. I’m so sorry,” she cried.

To say that Shane was shocked that Lori had felt something more for him before Rick was back was an understatement. Sure, he was thinking the same thing before, but she never said anything. And after Rick, she always acted like he had forced her, trapped her. Now that Shane was in different but kind of similar situation to her, he could understand that she just reacted out of the guiltiness and fear she was feeling. The difference between them was that she and Rick were married and what happened was that they thought that Rick was dead and the only one they had to hold on, to keep strong was each other. Now that Rick was back, of course his friend was more than willing to look over their affair, especially after it stopped with his return. He was feeling the same thing they were, that his family was the only thing he had left and he also was the one who genuinely loved them, not that Shane didn’t love them, but it was different.

Shane and Harry, though...it was more difficult because he willingly left the younger man, deliberately hurt him in the progress when there wasn’t any need for it. He was just too single minded on things at the moment, too easily blind-sided and too easily scared of the commitment he could see coming between them. With Lori he was ready for it. He had fancied her since high school but it was Rick that caught her eye. Harry on the other hand…it was too sudden, too soon and too many surprises so he got spooked. That was no excuse for what he had done, it just was.

“I’m planning to talk to Harry,” Shane said.

“What?” Lori, who had begun to walk away when Shane didn’t say anything more, turned around in surprise.

“I wanna go back to him, if he’s still willing to take me back. This last week has been miserable for everyone including me. I…I think I love him,” he admitted.

“Do you think…he would take you back?”

“I don’t know…”

“Do you think it’s a good idea, though? I mean, after everything…”

“I don’t care what you say, Lori, or what you think… I know you don’t like him and his magic. You can threaten me all you want with the baby but I doubt that Rick would allow you to take it away from me if it turns out to be mine. He’s a father after all…he knows how it feels… But I’m going to win Harry back,” Shane said determinedly.

“Look, I understand. I won’t begrudge you wanting to be with someone you love. I was…” she swallowed. “I was wrong saying all of those things to you. But you have to know something about Harry…”

“If this is about your suspicions or one of your accusations again…”

“It’s not about any of that, Shane. He’s not as noble as you or the others think…”

“Lori…” Shane sighed.

“He threatened me, Shane!”

“What?” Shane looked surprised. Lori paled as she realized what she had said. “What do you mean he threatened you?”

“Nothing…it’s nothing…I didn’t mean for it to come out that way…”

“You look scared, Lori. I don’t think it’s nothing, unless you’re lying to me?” Shane narrowed his eyes.

“No! I’m not like that, you know that…it’s just…” she tried to search for the right words, “It was the day of Beth’s incident. He threatened to shot me with one of his spells…”

“What? No. I don’t believe that. He’s not like that. Something else must have happened,” Shane denied.

“It did. I was arguing with Andrea and he was there. She made a dig at me about the baby and you being my boyfriend.... apparently, we weren’t as subtle as we thought…I guess he got angry over it…it was still a sore point at the time after all…”

“Oh Christ…!” Shane cussed. “So he got angry and threatened you? In your condition? Andrea also knew about this?”

“No, he did it after she left. So it was only him and me,” Lori said, “Look, Shane. I didn’t want you to know about this. He probably didn’t mean it. He was just jealous and angry at the time. Like you said, he’s not like that…”

“Did he tell you what spell he threatened you with?” Shane asked.

Lori felt her blood froze and she lied before she could stop it, “No…he didn’t…”

Shane narrowed his eyes at her, “I don’t believe that. Is it something harmful? Is it?”

“No! Shane, it’s not like that…”

“You know what? I’m gonna ask him myself,” Shane decided as he slipped into the car.

“Wait, Shane! Don’t…!”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick, Harry and Daryl were examining the map that was spread before them. They were trying to determine where to let Randall loose. Rick and Harry had been arguing about it for a while.

“What’s wrong with setting him loose in Atlanta again?” Harry asked.

“It’s filled with walkers, Harry. You know that,” Rick frowned.

“The whole city? Surely there are some safe spots like that G’s group you found. I can sense life too, you know. I can dump him to the nearest group of survivors,” Harry said.

“You two idiots have been going on about this for awhile now. Are you gonna decide soon? Because it’s already late, you know. If we wait for you two it will be night before you make a decision and that means another night with that boy staying here,” Daryl said.

“Tell that to your esteemed leader,” Harry scowled at Rick.

The cop sighed, before he could say anything, though, one of the cars raced across the farm and skidded to a stop in front of the house. They looked up to see Shane slam the car door open and closed before striding over them with determination.

“All right, who’s the idiot that bugging him now?” Harry asked.

“I don’t know…” Rick said.

“Harry,” Shane called unexpectedly. “I wanna ask you something.”

Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

“Did you really threaten Lori? While she’s pregnant?”

“What? No!” Harry denied incredulously.

“What? What’s going on?” Rick asked confused.

“She said you did!” Shane said as he walked around the house and up the porch.

“What’s that lying bitch whining about now?” Daryl sneered.

“She’s not lying, I can tell you that,” Shane said. “She said you threatened him after Andrea made a quip about her and me.”

Everyone could see the light bulb over Harry’s head as it lit up with realization. The wizard snorted as he realized what the other man was talking about. That bitch was more stupid than he thought. Rick was confused while Shane was getting angry that he didn’t get any answer.

“So it’s true? You really threatened her? She’s pregnant, Harry! With my baby!” Shane grabbed Harry’s arm when he didn’t stop laughing.

“Hey back off,” Daryl shoved him away but Shane didn’t budge and shoved him back.

“You stay out of this!” Shane warned.

“Shane, stop this! Let Harry speak first! I think there’s a misunderstanding here,” Rick said.

Harry’s laughter turned bitter as he shoved Shane away. The resentment in his eyes was clear for everyone to see. “It doesn’t matter, Rick. He has his head so far up her ass he won’t listen to anyone else. What she says goes. So what if I did?” he challenged.

“That’s my baby you’re threatening!”

“You don’t even know that! You don’t know for sure! Did she even tell you what spell I planned on using on her?”

Shane frowned. “She said you didn’t mention it.”

“Of course she would say that,” Harry rolled his eyes, scoffing.

“Shane!!”

They all turned around to see Lori running towards them, out of breath and then pale at the sight of them.

“Tell them, Lori, what was the spell I ‘threatened’ you with again? Because I do remember that I told you about it. Can’t be threatening enough if you don’t know, after all,” Harry asked mockingly.

“I…it’s…”

“You just have to do it, don’t you?” Harry sneered. “Everything was fine and dandy but noooo! We can’t have that. Especially Harry The Freak. You just have to do something about it, don’t you?”

“Look…it was just a misunderstanding…”

“Oh yeah? Which part of it? The part where you told your boyfriend that I threatened you? Well, that part was true, at least…”

“What?” Rick frowned.

“Or the part where you conveniently forgotten to tell him what my chosen spell was and made it look like I was threatening your life and the life of your baby? Wow…you must really think so low of me, Shane, if you think I could harm a baby because of a quip,” Harry said bitterly.

“Harry…”

“What is this? What’s going on? Harry?” Maggie asked as she stepped out of the house together with some of the others.

“Harry? We heard the shouts from inside,” Dale looked at them worriedly, “Is everything all right?”

“You know…you often forget about your own strength when your temper gets the better of you…” Harry said ignoring Maggie and Dale and examining his arm where a bruise was starting to form. “The first time you hit me, I kinda deserved it…but if this is the way you’re reacting every time something happens, then I’m glad we’re over.”

“Harry…” Shane felt his heart sank, silently cursing himself for his hot-headedness for the thousandth time.

“You wanna know what the spell was? How about that, Lori? You wanna tell him or you want me to tell him?”

“Harry…just…”

“Just tell us what it is, Harry,” Rick said sternly.

“It’s a paternity spell,” Harry spat venomously. “An advanced medical spell to find out the parentage of a baby while in the womb.”

Both Shane and Lori paled at that, but for different reasons.

“If so why didn’t you just do it?” Daryl asked confused.

“Because I didn’t want to find out! He already left me because Lori told him he couldn’t be a part of his baby’s life as long as he was with me and he was willing to leave me, breaking all of his promises, when he didn’t even know for sure it was his! He still doesn’t!” Harry snapped.

“You did what?!” Rick rounded on Lori, angry.

“Rick, it’s…”

“What if I did the spell and it turns out to be really his? What then?!”

“Harry, I’m so sorry…” Shane tried.

“You know what? I don’t care anymore,” Harry took a deep breath. “So why don’t we make good on that ‘threat’, huh?”

Before anyone else could move, a spell was hurled at lightning speed towards Lori. She shouted in surprise and crouched defensively. When she didn’t feel anything, she looked up to see everyone was staring at her. No, not her, but above her. She looked up and there it was in floating and glowing words.

_Pregnancy Progress: Five weeks and four days_

_Gender: Female_

_Maternal Mother: Lori Grimes_

_Paternal Father: Shane Walsh_

Lori whimpered and shook her head in denial. Shane looked at the word in amazement. Rick in betrayal. Harry’s expression fell as he felt what little hope he had left break into pieces.

“It’s really my baby…” Shane whispered in amazement.

“Well, at least now you know for sure. You didn’t throw us away for nothing,” Harry said with deep bitterness, almost brokenly.

That pulled Shane’s attention from the glowing words to Harry. He took a step closer to him with an outstretched hand, “Harry, I…”

“Don’t even try,” Harry warned him as he stepped back.

“Shane’s the baby’s father? You’re cheating on Dad?” Carl asked as he stepped from behind Maggie.

“Carl, no, that’s not…” Lori reached out but he dove out of the way, hiding behind his father and looking at her with betrayed look. “Rick…”

“Don’t…talk to me. I…I can’t even look at you right now,” Rick turned away in disgust, jaw clenched in anger.

“Rick, you said we’re together in this. Please…you know what happened between me and Shane was a mistake. You agreed with that. You said you were willing to look over that!” Lori pleaded.

“That was before you told Shane it still could be his baby! AFTER you told me that it was mine no matter what! And for what, Lori?! To get Shane and Harry to break up so you could have him back?! If it really was a mistake to you then why did you say that? Why did you do this to us?!”

“You know what? I have had enough of this shit. Come on, Harry. Lets get you outta here,” Daryl said as he pulled Harry away with him gently.

Lori glared at them. “This is your fault!” she shouted.

“My fault?” Harry looked at her in disbelief, as did most of everyone.

“You destroyed my family!” Lori launched at him but Shane caught her.

“Excuse me? I destroyed your family? I don’t remember holding you at wand point to force you to have an affair with your husband’s best friend! That’s just wrong, woman, no matter what. I bet Rick wasn’t even cold in the ground before you start sleeping with Shane. How could this be my fault? After all I’m not the one who can’t wait long enough to mourn for my dead husband before spreading my legs to the next available cock!”

Lori lurched out Shane’s grip with a furious scream. Harry yelped in surprise as she pushed them to the woodened floor before started clawing at him. Everyone shouted in shock. Both Shane and Dale moved in reflex and grabbed and pulled her away from the wizard. Daryl immediately went to check on Harry. There were a couple of scratches on the wizard but otherwise he wasn’t harmed.

“Stop it, Lori!”

“My God, Lori…what’s gotten into you?” Dale asked in disbelief as he struggled with his grip on her.

“Let me go! Let me go! I’m gonna kill him!!”

“ENOUGH, LORI!” Rick boomed, silencing her in an instant. “It’s not his fault! It’s yours and only yours!”

“Rick!”

“Everything was fine! Just as Harry said! But you just had to destroy it! You could have left him alone! You didn’t have to tell Shane anything! You didn’t have to LIE about it!! But no! For some reason you hate him so much you just had to do something to get him into trouble! You egged everyone on to shun him! You spread lies and accusations about him! You came up with plans to kick him out! And now this? This you brought it on yourself!! Don’t you see that?!”

Rick was red and out of breath by the time he was done.

“Rick, I…but he…”

“You know what? I’m done,” Harry said as he got up from the wooden floor. “I’m done with all of this shit and drama!”

“Where are you going?” Rick asked.

“To set Randall loose,” Harry replied without turning around.

“I’ll go with him,” Daryl told him, “Make sure he’s okay. You take care of your boy. He’s in quite the shock.”

“All right,” Rick nodded. “Come on, Carl. Let’s take a walk.”

“Rick, I’m your wife. You said…”

“Don’t bother, Lori. You’re the one who went back on your words. You don’t have any excuse,” Rick glared at her.

“Rick…” Shane called, hand on the other man’s shoulder.

“You take care of her, Shane. That’s your baby she’s carrying after all,” Rick shrugged him off roughly.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Come on. We’re leaving,” Harry told Randal curtly as he picked up the bag they had prepared for the boy.

“Now? But, they won’t let me stay?” Randall asked, looking crestfallen and scared.

“I’m afraid not. Now we can go quietly or I can drag your unconscious ass out.”

“I’m coming,” Randall said immediately, accepting the bag Harry shoved at him.

They turned around to find Daryl standing outside with his weapon and a bag that Harry knew was filled with what possessions he had, well apart from the saddlebags on his bike.

“You don’t have to come with me,” Harry said.

“Like hell I don’t,” the redneck snorted. “I know you’re not coming back after this. I’m going with ya.”

For a moment, the hard look on Harry’s face softened. “Daryl…”

“You’re leaving?” Randall asked. “Can I come with you instead then?”

“No,” Harry said, glaring at the boy in warning, “And don’t you dare say anything about it to the others outside either, you hear me? Or else…”

Randall paled and nodded frantically.

“We’re family, Harry. I’m coming with ya,” Daryl said again, determinedly. “I just wanna ask one thing.”

“What?”

“Any way for that teleportation of yours to bring my bike with us? It’s Merle’s,” Daryl asked.

Harry smiled. “I can shrink it.”

“Shrink?”

“Like this,” Harry pulled out his necklace. The trunk shape pendant was swaying on the cord.

Daryl looked at it and then snickered. “Merle’s not gonna like that, but what the hell? Better than leaving it behind. It’s still gonna be functional when you un…shrink it right?”

“Enlarge,” Harry corrected, “And yes, still fully functional like nothing happened.”

“All right then,” Daryl nodded. “Let’s go.”

“You’re really gonna leave? Just like that?”

They turned around to see Maggie looking at them with a heartbroken look.

“Maggie…”

“You don’t have to leave, Harry. No one cares about what Lori said, even those who did are thinking that all of this is her fault. Please don’t let her chase you away,” Maggie pleaded as she pulled him into a hug.

“Oh, Maggie…You know I’ve been planning this for awhile now. This incident has nothing to do with it, not really…I just can’t stay anymore…I think Otis’s death should be the last time I take a risk staying. You know what I told you about…”

“That’s bullshit and you know it!” she interrupted him. “If you’re really an anomaly like you said then you’d have brought disaster every time and everywhere, right? But your college life was peaceful, wasn’t it?”

“Well…”

“That means it has nothing to do with you. Shits just happens, Harry, especially with how the world is now. You can’t control what will happen with walkers around and how people choose to live these days. If any of that results in death and chaos, it has nothing to do with you!”

“The girl is right,” Daryl piped up from behind.

Harry sighed. “I still can’t stay. It’s just…”

“So you’re gonna run away?” Maggie pulled back and glared.

“Say what you want, I still feel it’s best if I leave,” Harry smiled regretfully at her.

Maggie looked like she wanted to protest but held herself back. Instead, she turned her attention to Daryl with narrowed eyes.

“You’re going with him?” she asked.

“You bet on it I am,” Daryl shrugged.

“At least you won’t be alone,” she sighed. “Promise me to be careful?”

“I promise,” he smiled. “By the way, Patricia still hasn’t got her charm. She was too distracted before and while she rarely goes outside, let’s just not risk it. Neither does Jimmy by the way, the boy refused to. It seems he hates me for not saving Otis.”

“He was his mentor but that’s still stupid,” Maggie sighed, “I’ll try to change their minds.”

“Ask Andrea or Rick about how to put them on, all right? Here,” Harry handed her a bag.

“What’s this?”

“This is my bottomless duffel bag. The bottomless charm makes it so you can fill the bag with everything you can think of and it still will never be full so you always have free space inside. The charm should stay for ten years, or that’s what the storekeeper I bought it from said, it should last another five years since I bought it. It also has feather-light charm on it so the weight won’t be a problem either,” Harry explained. “I left some things that you people could use. It’s not much since I don’t have a lot to share but I think they will be helpful.”

“What happens to the things inside if the charm…expires?” Maggie asked.

“I guess the bag would explode, throwing all the things inside away…which can be really harmful, like a bomb, so empty the bag before that happens. The charm should give you a warning by glowing an ugly red moments before it fails,” Harry said.

“Thank you,” Maggie accepted the bag and pulled him into another hug.

“Good bye,” Harry whispered.

“See you later,” Maggie corrected firmly.

“If we’re lucky enough,” Harry grinned.

“We will meet again. You just have to have more faith,” she smiled.

She turned to Daryl and pulled him into a hug too. He stiffened in surprise with his arms frozen awkwardly around her, unsure whether he should hug back or not.

“You take care of him, all right? And take care of yourself too,” she said to the redneck.

“All right,” Daryl nodded, patting her on the back awkwardly.

“Uh…don’t I get a hug?” Randal chirped up softly.

Harry snorted while Daryl glared at him. Maggie looked at him with bemused expression but then she smiled.

“What the hell, might as well,” she shrugged and pulled the boy to a brief hug as well. “You be good or they will make you regret it.”

“Noted,” Randal said, stunned at the hug. He didn’t expect that she really would do that.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane looked up from the steps as he heard the house’s door open. Harry, Daryl and Randall stepped out. The wizard paused when he saw him before regarding him with a cold look. Shane felt a stab in his heart at the look the man directed at him.

“Harry…”

“Daryl and I are gonna leave for a bit. You tell Rick about it so he won’t worry,” Harry said.

“Good to know, but that’s not why I’m waiting here,” Shane said.

“Waiting?” Harry frowned.

“We need…I need to talk to you,” Shane said, suddenly nervous.

“About what?” Harry narrowed his eyes.

“About us…”

“There’s no us,” he cut him off abruptly. “You made sure of that.”

“Harry, listen…”

“You had the chance to talk to me, Shane. More than a week ago. You could’ve told me about what she said, we could’ve discussed it together, I would’ve understood but instead, you just wrote me off like I was nothing,” Harry spat hatefully, hurt in his eyes despite his efforts to keep it out of his voice.

“And I was wrong, I know that! That’s why I want to…”

“You want to what?” Harry snapped. “You want me come back to you? You want us to be together again? After everything you’ve done?!”

“Yes!” Shane shouted in exasperation.

Harry was stunned at the admission but then narrowed his eyes in anger. “You promised me, Shane. You said you’d always be there for me, you wouldn’t want us to be anything other than together, but you lied! You lied to me!”

“I wasn’t! I was just…”

“You broke your promise! It’s just the same! A relationship works two ways, Shane! You didn’t trust me enough to let me help you with her! You didn’t trust us enough that you let yourself believe in the things she said about me! You even accused me of poisoning your mind with a love potion! I hate those things! People always tried to use it on me back home. You know that, I told you guys about it and you still accused me of it! If you won’t let me be there for you, Shane, then I won’t!”

“Harry, I love you!”

Harry felt like Shane had just punched him for the second time. He was shocked. He could only see Shane in front of him. Daryl and Randall and the rest of the world might have just not existed. In fact the former two had been forgotten since they started talking. Daryl and Randall watched the drama with wide eyes. They glanced at each other speechless, not knowing what to do and then decided to just blend into the background. They wondered if anyone else heard them.

“What’s going…” T-Dog trailed off when Daryl stretched out his arm to stop him from coming out, the door was half opened. The redneck shook his head and nodded towards the pair on the steps.

T-Dog looked over and winced at the sight. Some more people came and looked over his shoulders, their eyes widened at the scene and they stayed to see what was going to happen. Daryl rolled his eyes at their addiction to drama.

“I love you….” Shane finally said, “I know what I did was terrible. Even after I regretted the things I did to you and decided to fix it, I still let her get to me and I’m really sorry, Harry. I’m so sorry…”

“This is not fair…” Harry muttered, looking down as he could feel the burning in his eyes.

“I know… Just…please talk to me…” Shane pleaded.

Harry reached out to the other man’s shoulders and placed his forehead to his chest. “You were my first, you know…the first person I’ve come to care after all these years…the first one who…and you just…”

“I know and I’ll say it a million times if you want, I’m so sorry…” Shane said but Harry pulled away before he could hug him back.

“I’m gonna go free Randall. We’ve been pending on that long enough,” Harry sniffed and turned around to motion for Daryl and Randall, only to find half of the house’s residents behind the screen door looking like they were watching some television drama. Harry flushed in embarrassment as some of them looked sheepish at getting caught, some giggled while the rest made their escape back into the house. Maggie looked at them with hopeful eyes. Harry cringed inwardly.

“Let’s go, guys,” Harry called to them.

Daryl nudged Randall towards the steps. Harry moved past Shane but the man caught his arm firmly in a gentle grip.

“We’ll talk after you return, right?”

Harry looked at him and lied with a wry smile, “Sure, Shane.”

Shane nodded and let him go.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“So how do we do this?” Daryl asked looking at his bike.

“Easy,” Harry waved his hand and the bike shrunk into the size of his palm.

Randall coughed violently but they could hear it was laughter he tried to cover. No one blamed him. Daryl’s own lips twitched with amusement.

“Merle’s reaction gonna be that funny, huh?” Harry asked, amused.

“Not really. He’ll be furious as hell, but the look on his face when he sees it first…that’s funny,” Daryl said.

“Right,” Harry nodded and slipped the miniature bike into Daryl’s bag. “Now both of you hold my hands.” They did as told, Randall was a bit wary but he did it anyway. “We’re going at one, two, three.”

The next thing they knew, Daryl and Randall felt like some kind of wormhole appeared inside them and sucked them in. The feeling wasn’t pleasant what with losing their footing and being sucked into a needle-sized hole was almost painful and it really was painful when the sucking sensation stopped and they landed on their knees from the surprise.

“That’s…” Randall looked ill for a second.

“That’s sucks. I feel like I might throw up,” Daryl groaned.

It did get Randall to throw up. He lost his lunch on the ground. Daryl wrinkled his nose in disgust and moved away from him. Harry looked at them in sympathy.

“Yeah, that happens a lot to first timers,” he said. “You’ll get use to it after the…two hundredth times, I guess.”

That only made Randall feel sicker and throw up more. Daryl snickered at him. He got up and looked around. The area looked familiar to him.

“Where are we?”

“Atlanta,” Harry replied. “This is near the area where G and his group live at.”

“Yeah, I thought so,” Daryl nodded.

“Feel better?” Harry asked when Randall finally got up. The boy nodded carefully. “Now, let’s get on with the business.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Randall raised his arms in defense.

“You know the deal, boy,” Daryl warned.

“I know, but do you have to erase my memories? What if I find some walkers?”

“I’ll only take your memory of the farm and my magic. The rest will still be there,” Harry said. “This area is near the group I know in Atlanta. The people are decent. As long as you’re good to them then they’d accept you.”

“But…but…can’t I just come with you guys? You both are leaving the farm anyway…or are you planning to go back since your boyfriend wants to get back with you?” Randall asked desperately.

Harry’s eyes went hard. “No, I’m not going back and I’m going to take you with me or let you know where they are.You already said I have freaky magic spells so I don’t think you coming with us is a good idea.”

“It’s only freaky when it was use on me, but otherwise I’m fine with. Hell, it’s magic!!” Randall tried to convince him. “Please let me come with you...”

“No,” Harry said again.

“But…I…”

“Or…you can take the Unbreakable Vow,” Harry said.

“What is that?”

“A vow that if you break, you die,” Harry said.

Randall paled. “What…what’s the vow if I take it?”

“You will vow that you won’t tell anyone, under all manners of communication that have ever existed in the world, about the farm or the people there under any circumstances, even if you’re tortured for it. You also will vow that you won’t tell anyone about magic under the same conditions, unless they already know about it. You try to break any of this and the Vow will kill you before you can do it, protecting the contents of the Vow.”

“Are you sure I can’t just come with you guys?” Randall tried again. “The more the merrier, right?”

“No.”

“How can you be sure these people you talk about will take me anyway? What if they…”

“Obliviate!” Harry snapped. The look in Randall’s eyes lost their focus and his expression became slack. Daryl raised an eyebrow at him. “I lost my patience. We’d be arguing all day and night if we let him keep talking.”

Daryl snorted in agreement.

“Now, Randall, you remember nothing about a farm or a group of people that lived there from the last week. You remember nothing about me and magic. You were separated from your group after a fight with another group of survivors and you’ve been wandering around alone since then trying to find your people without success. Now walk away from here without looking back and continue with your life. Do you understand?”

Randall nodded dumbly and then turned around and walked away.

“That’s convenient,” Daryl said after he was out of sight.

“Now what?”

“You sure you don’t wanna go back?” Daryl asked. “We still could, you know.”

Harry looked down. “No, I don’t want to.”

“He loves you.”

“No, he doesn’t. He only said that because he was desperate. If he really loved me, he wouldn’t have hurt me in the first place. He wouldn’t have let me go that easily for something that wasn’t sure. He was going to fight for her, Daryl. When he wasn’t even sure she would take him back after Rick returned to them, but he was still willing to fight for her. It was different with me. If it was just about the baby, he would’ve found a way to have both the baby and me but he didn’t. He didn’t even try…He just…let me go. He…isn’t really as over Lori as he thought,” Harry shook his head stubbornly. “No, I won’t set myself up for more hurt and heartbreak from that man.”

“If you’re sure,” Daryl said softly, feeling awkward with all the feelings of the topic but also sympathetic.

“I’m sure,” Harry nodded. “Thank you for coming with me, Daryl. And for Otis…”

Daryl shrugged, “No reason to let you got all the burden.”

“Still…thank you,” Harry smiled at him, “Now, you still wanna look for your brother?”

Daryl hesitated.

“What?”

“I just…”

“What is it, Daryl?”

“He left…he found the van but he never…”

Understanding dawned on him; Harry took Daryl’s free hand in his. “It’s not like he had a lot of options. If he was like what everyone said he was then he wouldn’t want to go back to the same people that didn’t like him and cuffed him to the roof, self-preservation and all that. I’m sure he loves you and didn’t want to leave you behind.”

“Except he did,” Daryl bit out.

“He probably thought he would regain his strength before coming back for you. That way no one would get the upper hand on him if things went south. It wasn’t like you guys were planning to move from the quarry, right? He probably thought he’d find you there again. Besides, I’m sure the pain and blood loss from a severed hand didn’t help at all in the thinking clearly department.”

Daryl grunted.

“So…wanna find him?”

“Yes, I wanna find him…if only to punch him for being an idiotic dickhead,” Daryl grumbled.

Harry grinned. “Let’s go then.”

And then they walked in the opposite direction of Randall, still hand in hand.

**~ To be continued ~**


	22. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I’m so sorry for taking so long to update. I’ve been very busy the last few months. Sometimes, I miss the days when I was still unemployed where I can spend all day writing, but then I’ll remember those blasted bills and then I shake that thought as far away as I could, less I’d jinx myself and my job. *shudder*  
> Anyway, I hope these new chapters worth the long wait.

The town was dead. The city was dead. The world used to be filled with life. Overwhelminglyso. But today, only death could be found. Instead of people walking down the streets going to work or shopping or travelling or jogging, it was now filled with the undead, people who died and came back as not even a shell of their former selves, but something entirely different.

Zombie, walker, biter, rotter, undead...whatever they were called by the living, they were the ones who roamed the world now. Mostly. Attacking those who survived for a feast and they would never have enough. Always hungry, always searching.

A chopper flew over the not quite dead but also not alive city. The sound of the engine and the blades causing the undead to follow it. And they walked to after it, stumbling in some cases, crawling for others, but they all had the same goal. Following the sound. For where there was sound, there was life and there was a feast.

The herd got bigger the farther they walked. Time passed. Day into night and back into day but they kept walking and stopped only when they hit a woodened fence, unable to move further. But they didn’t get that. They didn’t understand that walking against the wooden block wouldn’t get them any further because they couldn’t think, they weren’t even really aware of their surroundings, they depended on sound and smell alone.

And it was because of it that they kept pushing against the fence with sheer force until the aging wood creaked under the weight and the pressure and finally gave in. The fence broke and the dead poured in.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Dale had an intense look on his face as his body was halfway inside the RV’s engine. He cussed loudly when he hit his head on the way out. Andrea was watching with a troubled look on her face. Dale had been cursing left and right since this morning, something that was very unusual for the man. They didn’t say anything though as they understood that he was still angry and frustrated over what happened to Otis, mostly he was feeling responsible for it. Nothing anyone said could change his mind on that so they let him be for the moment.

It was getting better after the patrol but then what happened earlier between Harry, Shane and the Grimes had destroyed that progress. That was why Dale decided to fix the RV just so he didn’t have to be in the same room with Shane or Lori. The man had been very fond of Harry, like he was with Andrea. He probably saw them as the children he never had. Andrea smiled sadly watching Dale rub his head with a hiss.

“You okay there, Dale?” Andrea asked.

“Yeah...I’ll live. Glenn, try it again!” Dale called.

“All right!” Glenn replied from inside the RV.

The engine coughed and sputtered something bad before, after hours of working on it, the engine came to life and revved smoothly, almost purring.

“You did it!” Andrea jumped, giving Dale a high-five he returned out of reflex.

“Yeah, finally,” Dale laughed.

“It works! You go, Dale!” Glenn jumped out of the van excitedly, the engine still purring.

They laughed at the accomplishment they felt, though Glenn and Andrea also laughed because this little success seemed to make Dale feel better. The older man’s smile died, though, when he saw something at the house. Andrea turned to see what caught his attention.

It was Shane. He was sitting on the porch waiting and from what she could tell, hadn’t moved from his position since Harry left. Speaking of which.

“When you said that Shane probably would be distracted by something and rethinking his actions lately, you knew he was going to make amends with Harry, right, Dale?” Andrea asked.

“Yeah...I know. I talked some sense into him but it seems it’s like Rick said. He is his own worst enemy,” Dale sighed.

“He let that bitch get to him again,” Andrea said.

“Andrea...” Glenn sighed.

“What? That’s the truth. She’s a bitch. Not only does she pit Rick and Shane against each other for whatever reason, she also forced Shane break up with Harry for her own selfish gain,” Andrea sneered at the thought of the woman.

“How can you know it’s selfish? It’s unreasonable and I don’t get it why she did it, but how do you know?” Glenn looked puzzled.

“Because I’m a woman and a lawyer. I knew women like her. Believe me, I can guess her motives pretty clearly,” Andrea snorted.

“Hey, does anyone know if Harry and Darylare back yet?” Dale tried to change the topic.

“I don’t think so. Shane’s still there,” Glenn pointed to the man’s direction. “He did say he and Harry would talk when he got back.”

Andrea frowned. “It’s been hours. It shouldn’t take this long, right? Harry told us it would only take half an hour at most and that’s only if they found something worth salvaging on their way.”

They all looked at each other.

“Let’s get back to the house and ask someone,” Dale suggested.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane was pacing around the ground impatiently. He kept looking back and forth between his watch and the wide plane view of the farm with a frown on his face. Several people began notice his restlessness and it began to get on their nerves. It wasn’t helping as the atmosphere was already tense as it was what with Lori trying to talk to Rick or Carl and both of them kept avoiding her as they were still very much furious with her. Carl had even taken to staying glued to his father’s side in order to avoid his mother. And there was also the fact that Lori was kind of an outcast at the moment. Everyone blamed her for half of the problems they had faced or were facing after they found out what she did to break up Harry and Shane and how she pitted Rick and Shane against each other with the baby, whether it was intentional or not. She was getting frustrated and angry at everyone, especially Harry, but most of all at herself for being stupid enough to let slip about the spell Harry had “threatened” her with.

“You need to talk to him,” Hershel told Rick.

“Everyone’s getting angsty here,” T-Dog nodded. “Also… Harry and Daryl haven’t returned yet. It’s been how long now since they left?”

Out of sight, Maggie tensed at their words. She clenched her hand tight around the knife she was using to peel the potatoes. Dale, Andrea and Glenn stepped into the house from the back door. Everyone looked at them before turning their attention back outside the window.

“The RV’s fixed,” Dale told Rick.

“That’s good,” Rick smiled a little.

“Rick, it’s been hours since Harry and Daryl left,” Andrea said, “And I think Shane’s pacing is making everyone nervous. Tension is already high as it is. Do you think something might have happened to Harry and Daryl?”

“I don’t think so. They can handle themselves,” Rick said confidently and then sighed. “You’re right about Shane, though. I’ll try to talk to him. Can you keep Carl company, Dale? Make sure Lori doesn’t do anything to upset him. He’s still pretty worked up from earlier.”

“I will,” Dale nodded, ruffling the boy’s hair with a smile.

“I’m fine” the boy sulked and then uncertaintly asked, “Is Shane all right?”

“I’ll find out,” Rick promised.

Shane looked up when he heard someone call his name along with the sound of the door opening and closing. Rick approached him slowly and a bit reluctantly. His best friend had been avoiding him since The Revelation II, as he dubbed it in his mind. He suspected the man was angry at him, rightly so, and if he knew his best friend as well as he thought he did then the man was also feeling guilty for what his wife had done.

“Shane, would you come in? You’re making everyone nervous with your…pacing,” Rick asked.

“It’s been almost three hours, Rick,” Shane said nervously.

“Three hours what?”

“Since Harry and Daryl left to free Randall. Remember what Harry said about his plan? They shouldn’t have been gone longer than half an hour at most. Hell, they should be back in five minutes if everything went smoothly,” Shane told him.

“Calm down, Shane. I’m sure they’re all right. They can handle themselves,” Rick assured him.

“Then why haven’t they come back, yet?” Shane snapped.

“I don’t know, but you know what they’re capable of. They’ll be fine. Why? You think something happened?”

“I don’t know. But if it does then like you said, they can handle it, but still... Do you know where they were planning to free the boy?”

“We were arguing about that when…Harry insisted to leave Randall in Atlanta,” Rick replied.

“Shit! What if something really happened? Something they couldn’t handle?” Shane paced againimpatiently.

“I’m sure they would be all right,” Rick tried to assure him again. “Maybe they found some place worth checking out, got some supplies or something. We’ll go looking for them if they still haven’t returned in the morning.”

“What I wouldn’t do to have that tracking charm on them right now,” Shane muttered.

“They won’t come back.”

Both men looked up to see Maggie at the door, looking at them coolly.

“What did you say?” Shane demanded.

“They’re not coming back so it’s useless to wait for them,” she said and then slipped back into the house.

Shane ran back towards the house with an angry growl. Rick chased after him with a worried frown. Everyone jumped in surprise when Shane slammed the door open and strode over to where Maggie had gone back to peeling the potatoes.

“What do you mean they ain’t coming back?!” Shane asked as he slammed the table.

“Watch how you talk to my daughter!” Hershel snapped as he came to stand beside Maggie.

“Harry had been planning to leave for a more than a week now,” Maggie replied without looking up, “He was waiting for Randall to heal so he could free him and slip away without anyone asking any questions.”

“What?” Everyone was surprised.

“He left?” Andrea asked softly in shock and disbelief.

“Why didn’t you say anything?!” Shane shouted.

“I didn’t know you cared. After all, it was you that drove him away in the first place,” Maggie growled venomously with deep accusation in her eyes.

Shane recoiled from the accusation and then flushed with anger and embarrassment and panic in his eyes.

“If he was planning that then why didn’t he just leave? He could leave any time he wanted,” Rick asked.

“I guess he didn’t want to leave Randall behind and force us back to the backup plan to kill him,” Maggie shrugged.

“And Daryl?” Rick asked.

“He’s his family,” Carol spoke softly, “He said that they’re related and Harry is his family. He was angry that we blamed him for everything, especially after leaving Merle like that.”

“What is it? I heard shouting,” Lori asked as she came down the stairs.

“Harry left,” Dale said still in shock.

“What?” She was stunned.“He left?”

“Yes, he left. You must be happy since you finally got what you wanted!” Maggie snapped as she walked to her room.

“Wait! You need to tell us more about that! Did he say where he was going?!” Shane demanded but Rick pulled him back when he was about to chase the girl.

“Shane, calm down,” Rick hissed.

“How can he just leave?” Lori asked with a pale face. “Doesn’t he realize there are people that need him?”

“Now you admit that we need him?” Andrea looked incredulous, “Or maybe you just realized that YOU need him, what with you being pregnant and him being our only doctor? Brava, Lori!”

“You’ve really got some nerve to expect him to stay around to help you after how you treated him,” Maggie sneered as she came back with a bag in her hands.

“That’s Harry’s,” Shane pointed out.

“Well done, Sherlock,” Maggie mocked as she placed the bag on the table, “He left this for us. He said he didn’t have much to share but he hoped this would be helpful. I haven’t seen what he left us yet.”

“Maggie…”

“To answer your question, no, he didn’t say where he was going,” Maggie said as she opened the bag pulled out some books, “Oh look, he left us his medical books. From basic treatments, anatomy, a book on herbs and plants that can be used for medicine…oh and several on pregnancy and giving birth!”

She slammed the books on the table. “You treated him like scum and he still cared enough to leave you these!”

“I…” Lori looked pale faced at the book that was flapped open when Maggie threw it. It was showing a graphic image of a woman giving birth to a baby.

A small bag with a tag attached to it came next.

“Potion supply,” Maggie read the tag. She opened it to find vials of potions in various colors. A notepad was slipped inside. “Everyone, this is the last of my potion supplies. They’re all muggle grade so you can use them safely. Every vial has a label attached to it, most of the labels are pretty self-explanatory but I included notes in case you needed them. The ones you have to be careful in using are pain-reliever and blood replenisher potions. Lori’s going to need them when she gives birth. But don’t use the pain-reliever until after the baby’s born, otherwise she won’t be able to feel the contractions and therefore won’t know when to push or at least that’s what the book says, I don’t know…Aww~ he’s so sweet, isn’t he?”

It was clear that Maggie was mocking at her. Lori didn’t dare to look at anyone as she could feel the accusing looks they shot at her.

“…I already divided the potions in the vials according to standard dose. So you don’t have to worry about overdosing on the potions. I also included the only healing gem I have. It’s easy to crush so if you do it over a wound, the wound will close almost immediately. The wonder of American wizard’s invention will never cease to amaze me. Use this for a life-threatening injury only for there’s only one, I bet it’s useless againsta walker’s bite, though. If I was told about the impending zombie apocalypse, I would have stocked up on all of my healing and potion supplies. Hope this will be useful for you guys. I’m sorry it has to be like this. Well, that’s all for the potion supply note,” Maggie said as she finished the note.

Then she pulled out all different kind of things like some food and snacks he had gathered before and then left forgotten in his trunk, according to his notes. There were also muggle drugs and medicine. He also left some magical items for them that could be used in defense or as a distraction, including a sneakoscope that looked like a child’s toy but apparently could detect the presence of deception among them like when an untrustworthy person is near or when a deceitful event takes place nearby so if they encountered other survivors they would know whether they were a threat or not. The thing squealed like mad the moment it was pulled out and no one made a comment, though they thought the thing really worked while eyeing Lori with distaste. Maggie shoved it back into the bag to shut it up. The last things were protection charms for Patricia, Jimmy, Lori and Shane as they were the only ones that hadn’t worn one yet and also one extra. The note on them told them how to activate the charms and to ask Rick or Andrea how to do it since they both knew how and the extra was for the baby after he or she was born. Clearly all of this was prepared before the paternity spell.

Lori frowned. “He needs hair to make it, right? How did he get mine?”

“He didn’t,” Andrea said as she examined the charm, “I know these ones. These ones use blood like Dale, Hershel, Carol and T-Dog’s.”

“What about Carl? I didn’t allow him to get one before,” Lori asked.

“I did,” Rick said. “I asked Harry to make one for Carl. Just because you hate him, doesn’t mean I’m willing to risk my son’s life over your petty animosity.”

Lori flushed with anger, “You…”

“He left many things for our benefit and you’re still suspicious of him? Especially after you realized how screwed you are without him around?” Maggie was furious.

Lori didn’t have anything to say to that. She glared silently at the table like it was the cause of her problems. Most people shook their heads at her attitude. Shane looked at the charm in his tightening fist. Harry had left. Even after Shane had told him he loved him, he still left. He had lied to Shane about coming back with a smile on his face.

“He really won’t be coming back?” Dale asked softly, sounding heartbroken.

Maggie shook her head. “I don’t know. He said it was for the best that he left, but I’m hoping that maybe he’ll change his mind later.”

“How could he…?”

Andrea slammed her hand down before Lori could finish her sentence. She was fed up with her.

“Why shouldn’t he?” the blonde woman asked her harshly. “After everything we’ve done! You were furious when we were angry at Rick for not being the perfect leader and yet you were the one who encouraged us to shun Harry for not being perfect for us! He joined us because he was having a hard time being alone. He trusted us to correct that for him and yet we turned our backs on him just because he’s different. Some of us even began to avoid Daryl because he also turned out to be different. Except for the Greene’s, every single one of us had let him down. Why would he want to stay with us?! Why would we deserve his undying loyalty to stay and help us despite the way we treated him? He had every right to leave! And you and Shane are the biggest reasons he had to leave!”

“You’re really conceited, Lori. To think that you can treat people like shit and still expect them to trail after you for your benefit. What’s your problem with Harry, really? He never did anything wrong to you. What had he done that made you hate him so much? What, Lori?” Maggie demanded.

“You people just don’t realize it, do you?” Lori glared at them, “I was just trying to protect us! He was trying to take control of us! He wants to be the leader…”

“That’s ridiculous! Harry never wanted to lead. He hates the responsibility,” Andrea denied firmly. “You already had problems with Harry way before we found out about his magic.”

Shane nodded. “She’s right. You began to dislike him since before we came here and it only escalated since then. Harry’s not the problem. It’s you. What is this really all about, Lori?”

“You only say that because you’re thinking with your dick! You didn’t see how he took charge of things back at the highway, how he manipulated everyone to do as he wanted, even you and Rick listened to him like obedient dogs and you guys aren’t the type that…”

“What?” Rick and Shane looked incredulous.

Andrea suddenly burst into laughter. “Oh, so that’s what this is all about? Rick and Shane listened to him and you don’t like it? Why? Because they never listen to you even though you’re supposed to be the leader’s lover?”

“You shut up!”

“What do you mean, Andrea?”

“Well, Lori here has designed herself as the queen-bee since day one,” Andrea sneered, “And yet every time she voiced her opinion, no one agreed with her. Shane always threw away her ideas.”

“Because they were ridiculous and put us in unecessarydanger,” Shane growled.

“Yeah, well that’s not what she thought and she still thought she was the leader among us women because her boyfriend was our leader. Never helping us with anything other than light chores. Always leaving the laundry to the rest of us, what laundry she did was only hers and her son’s. She judged everyone as beneath her. And then later when her husband turned up, he also became our leader. With two leaders under her thumb, she must be feeling pretty special and important.”

“I said shut up, Andrea! You don’t know anything. I’m not like that!” Lori growled at her.

“Oh yeah? Then tell me this, why did you only start being hostile towards Harry after he supposedly tried to take charge of us? Or to be more precise, after we found out that there was something more than friendship between Shane and Harry? Everyone also listened more to Harry’s ideas and opinions. Since it was pretty obvious who was the top in his relationship with Shane, with some of your twisted outdated views, you must be seeing Harry as a rival to your queen-bee position,” Andrea finished with a smirk.

“That’s the most ridiculous things I have ever heard,” Lori spat venomously.

“Considering how everything you’ve done and said lately was ridicilous, not really. I mean, you were friendly with me before but the moment I put down the cleaningand cooking and took up the gun? You didn’t like it that I started to contribute in the security of our people, that I took up the more dominant role. That’s why you felt the need to put me in my ‘place’ that day Harry ‘threatened’ you. Even he was incredulous with the reasons you spouted out, when the fact is you don’t like another woman showing you up.”

“That’s why you just don’t like it’s that Harry took Shane away from you. With how naïve and recklessly Rick led us in the last couple of weeks, he would get himself killed sooner or later since he’s less cautious than Shane, less willing to do what needed to be done. So you have to have Shane as a spare boyfriend just in case Rick really gets himself killed. That way you’d still have a protector for yourself later, and still be the queen-bee.”

Lori flushed indignantly, “How dare you accuse me of wanting my husband dead!”

“I didn’t say that. I only said that you need Shane for a back-up plan. But with Harry in the way, that’s impossible. I know women like you, Lori.I bet you also don’t like it when what you see as yours is taken from you. You don’t want Shane but you also don’t want anyone to have him because he liked you since probably forever seeing you guys’ history and that means he’s supposed to be like that forever. You are really conceited and self-centered, you know, and more manipulative too, no matter how much you wanna deny it.”

“You…!” Lori swung her hand at Andrea but Shane caught it in his. “Shane!”

The man was looking at her with barely hidden contempt. “Let it go, Lori. You got what you wanted. Harry’s gone, no thanks to you and me. Now behave, don’t make yourself more of an enemy than everyone already thinks you are.”

Lori looked around to see everyone looking at her with either disgust or disappointment. She felt her heart sink when she saw Rick looking at her with disbelief, betrayal and disgust. Even Carl looked away from her, hiding himself in his father’s arms as if trying to reassure himself that the man was still there and alive.

“I must of hit a nerve for you to react like that,” Andrea drawled.

“I’m just trying to protect everyone! He was keeping secrets that endangered us!”

“What secret? Which one? I don’t remember any of his secrets that lead us right into any danger,” Maggie demanded. “You’re the one with dangerous secretsaround here, Lori. Or have you forgotten about the abortion pills that you made Glenn go get in SECRET? When there was no reason for another supply run so soon? Where the both of us were attacked by walkers?”

Shane’s head snapped up at that. “What abortion pills? You trying to abort my child? My daughter?!” Shane shouted, charging towards a frightened Lori.

“Shane!” Rick stopped him. “She didn’t do it. She couldn’t.”

“But she tried!”

“I thought it was the best for all of us! For the baby!” Lori shouted, eyes clouded with tears. “How much of a chance do you think the baby has in a world like this? Carl was almost died!”

“The best for you maybe! Hoping that you could save your marriage that way? But no, in the end, you think it benefits you more because you can try using the baby to get everything you want! Like having me back doing everything to please you yet never giving anything back? In fact, you even pitted me against my own brother! Or forgetting rid of Harry?! What the fuck had I ever seen in you? You’re so lucky you’re pregnant or I’d be tempted to strike you, woman or not,” Shane hissed, his body trembling with fury.

“Don’t act like I’m the one at fault. All of you had your hand in his leaving, too!” Lori hissed.

“I never said I wasn’t at fault,” Andrea glared. “I admit I made a mistake, several mistakes, where Harry was concerned. He was my friend. He tried to be there for me even when I didn’t want it. All he had ever done was try to help me and I turned my back on him and I regretted it deeply.”

“Yeah, me too,” T-Dog said for the first time. The reality of the situation had sunk in. Harry had left and he lost the one figure he saw as a little brother that he could tease and love, all because he let himself be a stupid jerk. If only he was more loyal and supportive to the wizard.

Carol and Glenn also looked down in regret.

“See?” Andrea motioned around. “Everyone regretted it. The question is, do you?”

Lori bit her lips, too prideful to say that she did regret it, if only for the loss of her family’s trust and the only medical assistant they had. She didn’t want this to happen. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Harry was supposed to leave after he helped with the baby and taught Hershel the things a real doctor could do so they wouldn’t need him anymore. Everyone was already looking at her with disgust. Like she was the only one at fault! They had their own enjoyment in making the freak miserable and leave too – good riddance even though the timing was awful – and now they acted like they were innocent merely because they felt regret after it was too late? The hypocrites!

“You guys keep defending him when he left you all behind. We still don’t know how that walker wandered here and in result, killed Otis. The only time a walker wanders too far into the farm was when someone led them in, like you guys did before with the barn,” Lori accused towards the Greene’s. “Otis can’t be the one who did it because he was with Dale and everyone else was at the house and camp, it was only Harry and Daryl that didn’t have alibi. How can we know that he didn’t do it? It could’ve been his fault one of us died!”

“Stop! Just stop it, Mom! He didn’t do it!!” Carl cried out, clutching his head in hands, trying to block out all the shouts. Tears were clouding his eyes and sobs escaped from the boy.

“Carl…?” Rick kneeled down in front of the boy, looking worried.

“I was the one who did it, Dad… I saw that walker trapped in the woods yesterday. I pissed it off and it got free! If it hadn’t been for the bracelet, it would’ve bite my leg off…I would’ve been dead and none of you would’ve known it…I ran away and it killed Otis…I’m so sorry! It was my fault! It was all my fault!”

Rick pulled Carl into a fierce hug as the boy cried hysterically. Everyone looked aghast at this revelation. Shane breathed a shaky sigh as he patted the boy’s head, he already knew about this of course. Lori was shocked into silence.

“It’s not your fault, Carl…It’s not your fault…you wouldn’t have known,” Rick tried to comfort him, rocking the boy back and forth in his arms as he cried into his shoulder.

“Your dad is right, Carl. It’s not your fault,” Shane said.

Patricia entered the room slowly. Everyone’s attention was on her immediately while Carl and Rick were still oblivious. This was the first time she stepped out of the room after the funeral, she looked horrible with red nose and bags under her eyes. There was a haunted look filled with grief on her. They looked at her worriedly, especially after hearing the boy’s confession. She touched Rick’s shoulder, earning his and Carl’s attention and knelt down to face the boy.

“Your father’s right, Carl,” Patricia smiled sadly.

“But if I just put it down...none of this would’ve happened...but I was too scared and now...” Carl sobbed.

“Of course you were scared. You’re just a boy. And Otis...,” she wavered a bit, “Otis...it was just meant to be. It was his time. If that walker didn’t happen, something else would that would’ve taken him from us anyway. It’s not your fault.”

Carl let go of Rick and hugged the grieving woman, sobbing that he was sorry over and over again. Patricia returned the hug and hummed comfortingly to the boy.

“Harry did it, huh?” Andrea looked derisively towards a shell-shocked Lori.

“You should be a better mother and keep an eye on your son instead of spreading lies and hate, Lori. What kind of mother are you? Carl could have died and we wouldn’t know until it was too late,” Rick scowled deeply.

“I…what about you? You’re his father…”

“Rick’s busy leading us, making sure we’re safe and making all the tough decisions. You’re the one who insists women to do their proper job like back in the fifties,” Andrea cut in, “Why didn’t you make yourself a good example out of your outdated viewsfirst before demanding everyone else to? Taking care of children is a woman’s job, right?”

Lori flushed in anger and embarrassment. If looks could kill, Andrea would be dead by now and turned into a walker and then died permanently this time just from the glare she was getting from Lori.

“Carl will stay with me from now on,” Rick decided, “I don’t trust you to take good care of him. Not after this. You love your drama too much and are too busy with it to have time for him.”

“You don’t have the right! I’m his mother!” Lori protested. “I’m the one who’s been with him since this is all began!”

“But it wasn’t you who protected him,” Shane said, his tone was flat, empty.  “It was me. I was the one who protected both of you. Doing everything so you never had to dirty your hands and you can’t even let me be happy with Harry as a thank you. I shouldn’t have listened to you. I never did before. I don’t know why I started now.” Shane shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaled a long breath in an attempt to calm himself. “I’m going to patrol.”

No one stopped the man as he turned around and left the house. Most of them looked at him with pity. They all heard his love confession to Harry after all. They knew that this must be really hard for him, especially since he was also one of the biggest reasons Harry left.

“I still have the right to be with my son,” Lori said again, glaring at Rick.

“After everything you’ve done, you think he still wants to be around you? You didn’t only betray me, Lori. You betrayed him, too,” Rick said.

Lori glared at him. She turned to Carl with a forced smile. “Baby, I’m so sorry for everything, but you know I love you, right? I’ll always love you. And you still love me, right?”

Carl flinched away from her outstretched hand and buried his face into Patricia’s shoulder, still shaking from his crying.

“Carl, come here now,” Lori said sternly.

“You stay away from him. It’s obvious he can’t stand the sight of you at the moment,” Rick stepped between them, blocking Carl from Lori.

“This isn’t over, Rick. You can’t keep my son from me!” Lori growled.

“Like you can’t keep Shane from his daughter like you’ve threatened to do? I know. But if you really love Carl, you will respect his wishes and right now, it is to be away from you,” Rick said coldly.

Lori scowled at everyone and then stormed out of the room. Her footsteps as she stomped up the stairs to Hershel’s room – that had been offered to her and Carl – could be heard from all around the house followed by the sound of the slam of a door.

“That woman really is something,” T-Dog whistled when the noise faded.

“One of a kind, really,” Hershel shook his head.

“I never thought she could be this bad,” Dale said disappointedly. “She was really nice before.”

“Yeah, only when it benefited her,” Andrea quipped.

“All right, everyone, enough. Pack this up, Maggie,” Rick said indicating the things Harry left for them, “Andrea and I will help with everyone’s protection charm.”

“Shane brought his with him,” Maggie said.

“I’ll find him later. He needs some time alone for the moment,” Rick assured him. He wasn’t really worried about Shane without an active charm. The man was more than capable of protecting himself.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick looked at the lone figure of his son sitting at the window of the barn as he climbed up the stairs. The boy had left the house shortly after the confrontation in the house was over, only long enough to tell the details of what happened to his father, and everybody was back to their business. Rick followed him as he knew he needed to talk to the boy, about what happened and how he shouldn’t leave alone for his own safety, but mostly about what happened and the guilt the boy clearly was carrying. He approached the window and sat besides his boy.

“Hey...” Rick said softly.

“Hey, dad,” Carl returned weakly.

“You okay?”

Carl was silent. Rick sighed softly and pulled out a spare gun from his holster. He handed it to the boy.

“You gave the one you found from Daryl to Shane. Take it,” he said. Carl looked at him uncertainly. “What happened to Otis had nothing to do with you,” Rick assured him.

“He died, Dad,” Carl said.

“Yeah...feels like there’s a lot of that going around,” Rick nodded. “That’s why I need you. No more kid stuff. I wanted for you to have the childhood I had but that’s not gonna happen. People are gonna die.”

Carl lowered his head.

“I’m gonna die. Mom... there’s no way you could be ready for it. I try to be but I can’t. Best we can do now is avoid it as long as we can, keep one step ahead. I wish I had something better to say, something more...profound...” A pause. “My father was good like that.... But I’m tired, son. Please take it.”

Carl eyed the gun again, before taking it much to Rick’s relief.

“I miss Mom...” Carl said suddenly, “I don’t know her anymore...”

Rick looked pained at the admission and pulled the boy into a one-arm hug.

“I miss her, too...”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Everywhere he went reminded him of Harry. They hadn’t stayed that long in the farm but it seemed every corner filled him with many memories of Harry’s smiles, of his laughs, of his cheeky grins, of the way he blushed, of the hurt look on his face, of his tears.... He squeezed his eyes shut against the memories. He tried to distract himself by finishing the lookout on the windmill and then the one at the barn loft, but when he was finished and couldn’t find a more taxing job he was haunted again.

Harry had left.

Shane walked around the perimeter at the edge of the farm, checking out the woods absent-mindedly for a strayed walker. When he didn’t find anything, he turned around and stopped when his eyes landed on a spot he knew well. It was the spot where he found Harry after he ran away the night they found out about magic. He was crying as the fact that his people were gone finally sunk in. Shane comforted him until he fell asleep, exhausted. He carried the wizard back to the campsite where everyone who saw them looking at the younger man with pity.

_“Don’t listen to her… No matter what they think, just remember I’m here for you…”_

That was what he said. He promised him and then he broke that promise.

_“Don’t listen to her…”_

Shane snorted rudely to himself. He should’ve taken on his own advice. Now, Harry had left. It didn’t matter that Shane loved him and that he had told Harry his feelings. It was too little too late in Harry’s eyes.

If they had known each other longer, better…maybe he would have a chance. Maybe Harry would still be willing to fight for their relationship more. But they didn’t. And Shane was the one who gave it up first. For all Harry knew, he was probably that kind of a man. The kind who dumped people after getting what he wanted. Having a reputation of sleeping with his best friend’s wife and being willing to fight for her after the best friend’s return from death probably didn’t help either.

He felt like a walker had ripped his heart out of his chest and ate  it in front of his eyes viciously. The walker was ugly and rotting and had a cruel expression on its face, the perfect representation of what he had done to Harry and now it came back for him with a vengeance. It hurt so much. He could feel the pain in his chest like the metaphor was real. He could feel it in his guts. Harry had left. He didn’t need them, didn’t need him. He would be out there and be just fine without him and he wouldn’t return to them ever. He clutched his shirt, near his heart, trying to hold the pain at bay in vain. What he did feel along with the pain was something in his chest pocket and then he remembered what was in there.

Pulling out the bracelet, Shane studied it with wonder and heartbreak. He was in awe because Harry still cared enough to give him a protection when he was sure the younger man had thrown it away after what he had done. And with heartbreak because he realized he didn’t deserve this and he wouldn’t ever see Harry again. Harry with his easy acceptance towards Shane’s brutish and ruthless and overbearing self, his understanding of Shane’s reasons and thoughts on many things, his trust in handing over his heart for Shane to protect, his smile, his soft words and warm hugs, the bright light he had brought into Shane’s dark world just with his presence.

Harry had left.

“Shane? Shane! Are you all right? Shane, listen to me. Try to breathe!”

Shane didn’t even realize he had difficulty with breathing until someone grabbed him and tried to talk to him. He vaguely noticed that some of the pain he felt in his chest was because of the lack of oxygen. And that it was Rick standing in front of him, trying to help him, even after everything that had happened. That was when he realized he also didn’t deserve to have his brother just like he didn’t deserve Harry.

“Shane! Breathe with me!” Rick commanded, pressing their foreheads together and trying to guide Shane with his breathing. They were on their knees in the middle of the farm field. He knew Shane would be ina bad mood, feeling really down from today’s event. He went to search for him hours after the man left, having decided that he had sulked long enough, but he didn’t expect to find him on his knees clutching his chest and gasping for breathe without success. He was so pale Rick almost thought he was a walker at first.

“Breathe, Shane. In and out,” Rick instructed as calmly as possible.

It took a while but Shane finally regained his normal breathing. Color started to rush back to his face. Rick sighed in relief as he dropped his head to Shane’s shoulder, still clutching at him to make sure the other man got the support he needed. Shane buried his face to his neck, fists tigthened around Rick’s jacket.

“What happened?” Rick pulled away after awhile.

“Nothing,” Shane mumbled as he sat down on the grass, refusing to look at his friend.

“That’s not nothing...Is it because of Harry?” Rick asked carefully.

“What else it could be, Rick?” Shane snapped hoarsely. “He left! He left because I was...He trusted me, Rick! He gave me everything that he was and I just...what have I done?!”

“Hey, easy...deep breath,” Rick said with calming voice.

“Now he’s out there and we probably will never see each other again. I’ll never be able to ask for forgiveness let alone another chance. He...I...I’m going out. I’m gonna look for him,” Shane decided.

“No, you can’t. We don’t know where he’s going, Shane. It’s too dangerous,” Rick stopped him as he got to his feet.

“You can’t stop me, Rick. I’m gonna look for him no matter what!” Shane pushed him aside roughly.

“No, you can’t! Dammit, Shane!” Rick grabbed his shoulder.

“Let go of me!” Shane turned around and landed a punch right into Rick’s face.

The other man cried out as he stumbled back but quickly regained his bearings and threw a punch of his own towards his friend. Shane dodged it expertly but Rick expected that and already threw another punch with his other hand. It collided with Shane’s nose. Rick could hear a crack as blood spluttered out and felt it beneath his fist as pain also exploded in his knuckles and a tremor raced up his arm. Shane dropped to the ground. Rick tackled him. They wrestled for dominance. Rick was trying to stop Shane while Shane tried to beat up his friend.

“Dammit, Shane! Stop! You know looking for Harry without knowing where he was going is a bad idea!” Rick evaded an elbow to his nose.

“Fuck you, Rick! You’d never stop looking for Lori and Carl! You didn’t even know they were still alive or not! You can’t stop me!”

“That was different! I didn’t have anything else to do! I was alone and had nothing to lose! You got us, Shane!” Rick managed to pin Shane to the ground and straddled his chest, hands around his neck not to strangle him but just to hold him in place. “You can’t just leave like that...”

“The hell I can’t!”

“You gotta think about your baby!” Rick shouted in his face. “You tried so hard to claim that baby you even lost Harry for her. You can’t leave now! You have a responsibility to your daughter, Shane!”

Shane stopped his struggling. His breathing was short and harsh. One of his eyes was black with bruise, his nose broken and bleeding, his lips split, his knuckles were also hurt from all the hits but the hardest thing to see in him was the despair in his eyes. Rick knew he wasn’t in much better state than Shane but he couldn’t help but feel pity for his life long friend.

“He left, Rick...and it’s all my fault...” Shane rasped.

“I know...I know...but you can’t think just for yourself or Harry, Shane. You gotta think for everyone else, for your baby...”

“I love him...”

“I know, brother...I know...”

And Rick was amazed for he had never seen Shane like this. The man was allergic to all kinds of commitment that he always sabotaged his past relationships to end them. Rick should have seen this when Shane exploded over Harry’s “death” the first time, but they were too busy going crazy over magic and everything else it just skipped his mind. Now that he had seen another effect Harry had on Shane, he felt guilty for not trying harder to knock some sense into Shane before, to break his habit of sabotaging himself. But Rick was too busy avoiding the man and being bitter over his affair with Lori during his death, trying to claim a baby that wasn’t his in a vain effort to keep his family from breaking. So much for that. It was still broken anyway. Never had he seen his friend in love before and it wasn’t a pretty sight. If only he tried harder, maybe he could help patch things up and Harry wouldn’t have left and he didn’t have to see his friend broken like this.

Shane could only lay there as Rick let go of his neck. He could only stare into the star-filled sky. If only he could be like the night sky. Dark but also filled with so many stars. Right now, he could only feel the darkness of abyss in him.

“Dad? Shane?” They turned towards the voice. It was Carl. “What’s wrong? What are you doing?”

“Carl...”

“Are you guys fighthing?” Carl narrowed his eyes as he looked at their injuries.

“No, Carl. We’re not fighting,” Rick quickly got up and offered a hand to Shane.

Carl’s eyes narrowed even more. Shane couldn’t help but smirk at the boy’s reaction at his old man’s obvious lie as he got to his feet.

“Well, we were, but it’s all right now,” Rick tried to assure him.

Without any warning, though, Carl suddenly pulled out a gun and pointed it towards them. Both men froze at the action. There was a panicked look in his eyes but he also looked strangely calm.

“Carl...?” Rick sounded lost.

“Carl, put the gun down,” Shane commanded softly.

“You hear him, Carl. Here, give it to me. It’s okay...Shane and I, we ain’t fighting anymore...no one is hurting anyone, all right?” Rick approached his boy carefully.

Carl stepped back instead and then again, without any warning, shot his gun. Both Rick and Shane dropped to the ground on instinct. They looked up at the boy in stunned disbelief. That was until they heard the thud from behind. They got up and turned around only to find a dead walker on the ground, only one foot away from Shane. A bleeding hole decorated the middle of its forehead. Shane looked at the walker in amazement. He hadn’t even heard the thing approaching them. Just like what happened to Otis and Dale. He shivered at the thought. Rick, on the other hand, had focused back on his son.

“Carl...it’s okay, it’s over...you did good. Now hand me the gun, okay, son?” Rick pleaded at the shaking boy.

Carl didn’t appear to listen to him  as his eyes locked onto the walker but he lowered the gun nonetheless. That was when he finally took a relieved breath, dropped the gun and ran into his father’s arms. Rick pulled him in for a tight hug.

“You did good, Carl. You saved me and Shane. Well done,” Rick praised as he rocked the boy in comfort.

“Yeah...,” Shane prodded the dead walker with his foot, “One hell of a shot too...”

He saw his protection charm on the ground and picked it up and shoved it into his pocket. He turned his attention back on the walker and then he frowned, knelt to the ground and checked the walker’s body. Patting the limbs, lifting the shirt, checking the neck.

“Rick...”

“What?”

“This guy died from a broken neck. This walker wasn’t bit.”

“You sure?” Rick let go of Carl and knelt beside his friend.

“Yeah, I’m sure. If he wasn’t bit...how come he became a walker?” Shane asked and narrowed his eyes when his friend bit his lips in worry, eyeing the walker desperately, instead of answering.

“Uh...Dad...” Carl called, a hint of panic in his voice.

Shane and Rick turned towards the boy and then towards the direction the boy was pointing at.

“I think the gunshot attracted them...”

About fifty yards away was a herd of walkers and they were approaching.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Everyone poured into the living room with various expressions of panic and worry on their faces.

“Is that a gunshot?” Lori asked.

“Rick went to find Shane. Do you think something happened?” Maggie turned to Glenn.

“What if another walker got in?” Beth asked.

“I don’t know. I’ll go and take a look,” Glenn went to the cupboard in the dining room. Their weapon bag was kept inside it.

“I’ll come with you,” T-Dog said.

“Uh, guys... I think you should see this...” Jimmy said as he looked out the window.

Everyone poured out of the house and saw something unbelievable. There were lights around the house and the ground around it. The lights flickered to life and then faded all around them, creating the image of a giant dome.

“Is that the protection ward?” Beth asked.

“Is something wrong with it?” Dale asked.

“Power...” Andrea said with fear in her voice. “The power’s only enough for twenty-four hours of protection and Harry left before he could recharge it again.”

“It’s going to fall,” Dale realized.

“But that’s not the worst thing here,” Andrea said as she readied her weapon and pointed it towards the horizon, “Look at that.”

And everyone saw it. A herd of walkers, a huge one, was approaching the house slowly but surely from behind the barn. The snarling and growling sounded like a funeral march. Everyone was shocked at the sight.

**~ To be continued ~**


	23. Chapter 22

Everyone watched in trepidation as the walkers approached the house. More and more had come out of the woods from behind the barn and that wasn’t the only direction they were coming from. The walkers came from at least half of the woods that surrounded the farm.

“Patricia, kill the light,” Hershel instructed. Patricia nodded and Beth went to help her.

“There’s no use. The lights from the ward would attract them anyway,” Dale said.

“I’ll get the guns,” Andrea said as she also walked into the house.

“I’m going to get Carl,” Lori said.

“Maybe they’re just passing, like the herd on the highway. Should we just go inside?” Glenn suggested hopefully.

“Not unless there’s a tunnel downstairs I don’t know about,” T-Dog said, “A herd that size would rip the house down.”

“You think they’re gonna get in?” Dale asked.

“I don’t think so. Let’s kill as many as we can before the ward falls,” Andrea said as she came back with the weapon bag.

“You think it’s wise? What if the ward falls because of it?” Glenn asked.

“The ward was designed to protect. Anything harmful can’t get in but anything inside can get out. Bullets are one of them. Usually that would be classified as dangerous and we would be kicked out of the ward, but since our intent is to protect everyone inside the ward, it should be fine,” Andrea said. “Harry explained it to me and I also read the book,” she explained at the looks she got from them.

One of the walkers finally got close enough to the nearest fence to the house to hit the ward and stuck there. The ward around the hit area flickered with light. It didn’t give up, though, and kept trying with a snarl and soon the others followed and there were lights everywhere.

“The ward is holding them. Okay, guys. This is our chance,” Andrea told them as she ran to the ground and started shooting.

T-Dog, Glenn, and Dale followed her with weapons in their hands.

“Carl’s gone!” Lori cried as she came out of the house.

“What?” Everyone looked at her.

“But I thought he went up to the bedroom to rest?” Dale asked. After all, that was what the boy told him and he made sure before he left him. Lori was just outside the room with Patricia if he remembered it right. He could feel dread filling his guts. Rick trusted him to look after his son while he went to look for Shane.

“He...he was upstairs. I can’t find him anymore,” Lori told them.

“Maybe he’s hiding,” Glenn said.

“He’s supposed to be upstairs! I’m not leaving without my boy,” she said panicked.

“We’re not. We’re gonna look again. We’re gonna find him,” Carol assured her. Both of them ran back into the house.

Andrea started taking the weapons and handing them to everyone. Maggie helped her. She handed one to eachperson who didn’t move to grab one, mostly the women. She gave them a look when they hesitated until they accepted it.

“Maggie...?” Glenn looked at her worried and confused, eyeing the shotgun in her hand.

“You grow up country, you pick up a thing or two,” she told him.

“I got the number....it’s no use,” T-Dog said eyeing the herd that was crowding the ward.

“You can go if you want,” Hershel said as he loaded his shotgun.

“You gonna take ‘em all on?” Dale asked in disbelief.

“We have guns. We have cars. Like she said, kill as many as we can,” Hershel said.

“That’s right. And we’ll use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm,” Andrea nodded.

“Are you serious?” Dale asked them all as he got his weapon from Andrea.

“This is my farm. I’ll die here,” Hershel said stubbornly.

“All right. It’s as good a night as any,” T-Dog shrugged at the dirty look Dale gave him for that.

Together, they joined Hershel on the ground. Jimmy was about to join them but Maggie grabbed him.

“Wait, Jimmy, come here a minute. There’s something I need to give you and Patricia. It’s for your safety,” Maggie pulled out the bracelets Harry left them. “You both know what this is. I think this is the time to put this on, just in case. I don’t care if you’re still angry with Harry, which is stupid by the way,” Maggie said when Jimmy looked like he was going to protest, “And I know you’re still grieving for Otis, Patricia, but whatever survivors guilt you have that made you refuse to wear this, you gotta set it aside for now. Okay?”

Patricia and Jimmy nodded reluctantly.

“Good. I asked Andrea how to do this. Give me your hand,” Maggie said.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Oh my God...” Rick said as he watched the herd.

“Shit, Rick!” Shane cursed as quietly as he could as he looked around and could see that the walkers came from almost every direction.

“Go, go...run!” Rick whispered towards them, pulling Carl with him.

They ran quitely, careful to not make any sound, but fast enough to put a pretty wide distance between them and the nearest herd. They paused every now and then and changed directions whenever another walker blocked their path.

“We...we gotta get to the house. Tell the others,” Carl said as they hid behind another tree.

 “We’ll never get through that,” Rick eyed the walkers filling the ground.

“Can’t go around,” Shane whispered.

“Come on, stay close,” Rick said as he led them towards the barn.

They kept their speed and side stepped any walker close enough. Shane was frustrated, he wanted to shoot the bastards down but their ammo was limited and at the moment, the gunshots would only attract more walkers towards them which was a bad idea. They ran into the barn and closed the door, blocking it with a piece of pipe. The walkers were pushing and hitting against the door to reach them.

“So how do we get out of this?” Shane asked.

And then they heard the gunshots fromthe distance.

“Is that...?”

They looked around the barn. Shane found cans full of gasoline and when he looked back at Rick, he knew the man was thinking the same thing. They quickly splashed the fuel all around the first floor of the barn. The walls were starting to break from the walkers’ assault.

“Oh, shit,” Shane cursed as he noticed that.

“All right. Okay. Up there. Hurry,” Rick threw away the empty can when he finished. He motioned for Carl and Shane to climb the ladder leading to the second floor of the barn.

“Well, what about you?” Carl asked as he saw his father intended to stay behind.

“I’ll be right there,” Rick assured him.

Carl nodded hesitantly.

“Shane, I need you to put on the charm,” Rick told him.

Shane quickly pulled out the charm from his pocket. Rick took it from him, pulled out his pocket knife and sliced a cut on Shane’s finger. The man didn’t react at the sting of pain, it was nothing compared to what was waiting for them outside the barn. Three drops of blood later and some complicated knot that Rick did expertly, Shane gave a full body shiver that he couldn’t hide no matter how much he tried.

“Great,” Rick looked satisfied at that. “Now upstairs both of you. Keep him safe, Shane.”

“You better catch up soon,” Shane warned him as he pushed Carl up the ladder.

Rick nodded and handed a lighter from his back pocket to Shane. “Drop the lighter when I say. We’ll stop some of them from reaching the house and distract the others, so at least we’ll have a chance.”

“I know,” Shane nodded.

With that they got to work. Rick went to the door of the barn and started bumping his fist against it and shouting to get more attention from the walkers outside, trying to get the attention of as many of them as he could. Not that he needed it, the old wooden door was creaking and bouncing with the assault from the wakers. Then he opened the barn door to let them in and made a run to the ladder as the dead poured in gunning for him. Carl clutched himself tightly to Shane as they watched Rick from above.

“Come on! Come on! Over here!” Rick egged them on as he climbed the ladder.

“Rick!”

“Shane, now!”

Shane lit the lighter and dropped it without hesitation. The fire lit up bright in no time.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Everyone was driving their car, truck and RV around the edge of the ward and shooting like crazy dropping the walkers one by one. Dread was clutching tight to their hearts as the ward kept lighting up and became dimmer with each light. Beth wacthed from the crack of the bars on the window. She saw the barn light up and waved Patricia over.

“The barn’s on fire,” Beth told her.

“They’re headed for it,” Patricia said as she observed the walkers and how they walked towards it like moths to a flame. “Maybe Rick set it to draw ‘em in.”

“I can’t find him anywhere,” Lori said shakily as she ran down the stairs in a panic, still looking for her son.

“So maybe he snuck outside,” Carol said.

“What do I do?!” Lori shouted in hysterical panic.

“He was here. He must’ve run off, maybe looking for Rick,” Carol assured her with the idea that her son was safe with his father.

“Maybe he set the fire,” Patricia added.

There was a loud crack. They looked up and then looked at each other when they didn’t see anything. The cracking sounds didn’t stop. Someone was shouting in shock outside. The four women quickly ran out of the house to see what was happening.

Outside, there was bright light over them and they could see the dome shape of the ward and it was decorated with cracking pattern that kept spreading. Just as they took in the sight the shining cracks fell down into pieces and dissipated into thin air and the progress sped up from there as the ward started to fall.

“The ward’s falling!!” Andrea shouted from where she was still shooting as T-Dog drove the truck and cursing their bad luck at the same time, circling around from the edge of the ward. He didn’t want them near the walkers when the ward finally fell.

“That’s Rick and Shane! I think I saw Carl too!!” Dale shouted from the RV as he caught sight of the barn.

“They must have started the fire and are trying to get out back. We have to get them!” Jimmy said from behind, where he was shooting by the window.

“Oh yeah, there’s no question for it!” Dale said as he turned the RV towards the barn and went through the wards without hesitation, hitting walkers in the progress and drawingenough attention from some walkers that they stopped the assault on the ward and followed them.

Rick was shouting at them, trying to direct them to the lower rooftop where he was at near the second floor window. Shane and Carl at his side. Dale stopped the truck just as instructed allowing Rick, Shane and Carl to jump onto the RV and climb down the ladder on the back safely. Unfortunately, the RV was drawing the attention of more walkers. Dale and Jimmy looked around as they got surrounded.

“What do we do?” Jimmy panicked.

“There’s no way wecan try to get away with the RV. We’d be surrounded and stopped in no time. You got your protection charm on, right? I say we run for it,” Dale said as calm as he could.

“You think it would work?” Jimmy asked fearfully.

“Carl already tested it before. I’m sure it’ll work just fine for us,” Dale said.

“All right,” Jimmy gulped but nodded.

Weapons in hands, they kicked the RV door open and started shooting at the walkers thatwere trying to get close. Dale made a bold move of pushing through the crowd and although he could only move slowly, it was clear that the walkers couldn’t get to him no matter how much they tried to scratch him or bite him. The old man was surrounded by lights here and there at each attempt. Jimmy gulped once more but then followed the brave old man determinedly. They pushed and kicked and shot at any walker that try to get them out of the way. When they made it out, they had killed a good number of the walkers with a few still trying to get to them. They also saw Rick, Shane and Carl waiting for them, killing any walkers that tried to get closer or join the mob around Dale and Jimmy.

“This way!” Rick told them.

“Rick, the ward!” Shane warned as they ran towards the house dodging every walker that tried to attack them.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Hershel stood in vigil by his house in stand by with his shotgun. He along with Lori, Carol, Beth and Patricia watched with dread as the last of the ward finally fell. The front line of the walkers fell to the ground at the sudden disappearance of the invisible wall that stopped them but the line behind walked over them and approached with an eager pace as theywere finally free to hunt down their prey.

All hell broke loose as everyone else realized the ward fell but they kept trying to defend the farm as best as they could. Hershel started shooting at the closest walkers that made their way to the house.

Lori speculated where the boy could go if he really went to look for Rick, intended on looking for her son. Carol tried to convince her otherwise, talking about how dangerous it could be and how Carl would need her if they found him later. They had to leave, Carol said. Lori realized that Carol was right and was forced to agree with her. She grabbed the half filled weapon bag that was still on the porch and called for Hershel to go with them. But he either didn’t hear them or he was ignoring them.

“Hershel, it’s time to go!!” Lori shouted.

“Come on! Now!” Carol joined in.

“Hershel! Hershel!!”

Finally, Lori gave up and left with the rest of them. They ran as fast as they can towards the unoccupied car by the nearest tree. A walker grabbed Patricia, though, and more followed. They screamed in surprise and panic. The walkers tried to bite them but they soon realized nothing happened as lights surrounded them. Beth and Patricia tried to push them off while screaming in fright. Lori tried to help by pulling at Beth’s hand, not about to let go anytime soon. She barely noticed Carol run to the other side. Otis’s blue truck came into view and stopped. T-Dog and Andrea jumped out to help.

“Get in!” Andrea told them as she and T-Dog started to shoot at the walkers, carefully to not shoot the living instead.

“Get Carol! She ran that way...” Lori told them and Andrea went off to the pointed direction.

They managed to free both Patricia and Beth. T-Dog shoutedat them to get into the truck. But it couldn’t fit all of them so they had to squeeze in. Beth ended up in Patricia’s lap. They tried to wait for Andrea and Carol but quickly left as the rest of the walkers were about to surround them again, especially after they lost sight of the two women after being surrounded by a mob of walkers.

“What about Andrea and Carol?!” Lori asked.

“They can find a way out later. They have protection charms, they’re together, they won’t be alone. We can’t wait for them. The walkers are surrounding us and these protection charms won’t last forever. The truck won’t fit all of us either,” T-Dog said.

Beth noticed something then. “You didn’t wear your charm!” she gasped at Lori.

Lori gasped as she also noticed this. “I forgot. There were so many things going on and I don’t know where mine is...”

“You’re lucky they didn’t get to you,” T-Dog shook his head exasperatedly.

Meanwhile, Carol was cornered after she ran ahead without knowing clearly where to go, she just followed Lori’s shout to run. She shot at the walkers that tried to get close but soon she ran out of bullets. The closes walker was shot and when it fell, she saw Andrea behind it. Before she could feel relieved, though, another walker walked up behind Andrea.

“Look out!” She shouted a warning.

Andrea turned around and shot the walker without a pause only to fall on her back as the walker dropped onto her.

“Andrea!” Carol moved to help her but another walker grabbed Carol from out of nowhere, she shrieked and fell to the ground in surprise. Andrea noticed the walker couldn’t get to her due to a shimmering shield protecting the attacked area. She heard Carol’s scream and quickly struggled against her attacker.

“Carol! Calm down! You gotta fight back! Remember they can’t hurt you! But that won’t last forever!!” Andrea shouted as she kicked the walker aside.

Carol heard her and stopped screaming when she realized she was right. She didn’t feel any pain even though her attacker was biting at her. Another joined in the attack, though, so she ended up with more difficulty fighting for her freedom. But that didn’t last long because the second walker was grabbed and pulled away from her. Andrea bashed the walker in the head with a piece of wood. Carol pushed her first attacker away as strong as she could. Andrea was onto it before Carol could stand up properly.

“You okay?” Andrea asked.

“Yes, thank you,” Carol said as she looked around. Her face fell in dismay. “They’re gone! Lori and the others...!! They left us behind!”

“Shit!” Andrea cussed. “Come on! We gotta get out of here!”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Maggie and Glenn went around the farm in their car, trying to find a way to drive the walkers off or catch even a glimpse of the others. They saw T-Dog and the others run off with the truck and were confused.It seemed they were leaving the farm.

“Where the hell are they going? Should I follow them?” Maggie asked as she drove.

Glenn looked back around and said, “I’d say yes. Swing it around. Swing it around here...Whoa whoa whoa!”

Maggie stopped as they were surrounded, “Oh my God...I can’t get through.”

The walkers were hitting the car, looking at them hungrily.

“Head out,” Glenn said.

“What?”

“Get off the farm now.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Maggie, it’s lost!”

“The others...we can’t leave them.” A walker suddenly appeared in front of Maggie and she backed the car up in surprise.

“Get off the farm now!” Glenn shouted.

Left with no choice, Maggie turned the car and drove them away from danger.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick, Shane, Carl, Dale and Jimmy came up around the house to see Hershel still shooting like a madman at the walkers. Shane looked to the house and to Rick and nodded at him. He went inside the house shouting for Lori and the others but it was empty. He went to the cupboard where the weapon bag was but didn’t see it. He cursed his bad luck but then that meant others got it and if it was Lori then at least she could defend herself with the others. He saw the duffel bag Harry left them and although he could feel pain shot through him, dulled by adrenaline, he grabbed it on his way outside.

Rick and Jimmy were trying to pull a reluctant Hershel along with them as they moved towards the only car they had left. Rick was shooting at any walker that came close enough. Rick caught his gaze and Shane shook his head slowly in regret. Despair and helplessnes flash over the other man’s eyes before itwas replaced with determination.

“I didn’t see them, but that doesn’t mean anything,” Shane told him before Rick could think the worst. “The weapon bag’s gone. They could’ve gotten off the farm safely.”

Rick nodded. “Come on, Shane!”

Shane ran towards the car ahead of them. It was a good idea for them to leave the keys all in the car in case something like this happened, Shane thought as he dumped the duffel bag on the passenger seat and started the engine. Everyone else poured into the car.

“Leave, now, Shane! Go!!” Rick said as he closed the door  just in time as another walker smashed onto it.

Shane didn’t need to be told twice as he drove them away from the ruin of the farm. Everyone grieved at the loss of the safe haven they had and the uncertainty of whether their other loved ones survived or not.

Neither of them heard the shout from behind as Andrea tried to call them, leaving her behind.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

It was almost dawn as they got far away enough from the farm with no walkers in sight. They were still in shock over what happened in the last few hours.

“Oh my God...Oh my God...” Maggie kept saying.

“All right, let’s just...let’s just circle back to the highway,” Glenn said.

“Did you see my dad? Did...did he make it? Did you see?” Maggie asked.

“I couldn’t see anything,” Glenn sighed.

“And Beth...I lost Beth. We’ve gotta go back there,” Maggie said again.

“We can’t go back, okay? There’s nothing to go back to,” Glenn said.

“But Beth...”

“I think she was with Lori...”

“Did they make it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Patricia? Jimmy? What if they didn’t make it? What if nobody made it?”

“They made it, okay?” Glenn tried to assure her. “They had to. All right, let’s just circle around to the highway where we left supplies for Sophia.”

“No,” Maggie shook her head, voice wavering, “The herd came from that direction.”

“Just stop. Stop the car.” Maggie did as told. “Let me drive.”

Glenn got out of the car. Maggie moved to the passenger seat without any protest. She was too shaken to be able to drive safely and she frankly didn’t feel like driving at the moment. Glenn got in again without a word and Maggie started sobbing.

“Hey hey hey...Maggie, look at me. We’re alive. We made it. Okay? I’m sure they did too,” Glenn comforted her. “Right?”

Maggie nodded slowly at first and then determinedly, trying to hold back her sobs.

“I love you,” Glenn said suddenly. “Maggie, I love you.”

Maggie looked at him.

“I should’ve said it a long time ago and it’s been true for a long time,” he said, earning a watery smile from her, “We’re gonna be all right, okay? We’ll be all right.”

“Okay. Yeah,” Maggie nodded.

Glenn nodded and then started driving.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The car came to stop at the highway. The supplies for Sophia was still where they left it. No one else was in sight, though, they noticed, disheartened. Rick got out of the car and looked around, looking for any sign.

“Wait, where’s mom? You said she’d be here,” Carl said. “We...we gotta go back for her.”

“Carl...”

“No. Why are we running? What are you doing?” he demanded.

“Carl...” Shane placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder but he shrugged it off, breaking away from both from him and his dad.

“No! It’s...it is mom...” he pleaded, looking at Rick and then at Shane, “It’s mom...and...and your baby, too! We need to get them and not be safe a mile away!”

“Shh! You need to be quiet, all right? Please?” Rick pleaded.

This time Carl didn’t reject the hand on his shoulder. He tried to calm down as much as he could, but he still couldn’t let go, wouldn’t let go, because no matter what happened and what she had done, she was still his mother.

“Please...” Carl begged. “It’s mom.”

Rick looked at him in regret, “Carl, listen...”

“No!” Carl pulled away roughly.

Rick watched in helplessness as his son stalked away from him. Shane caught Carl’s arm and held on when he struggled.

“Carl, listen...”

“Let me go! I hate you!”

“Your dad didn’t say we gotta give up, Carl!” Shane barked at him, making the boy stop and look at them. “We’ll get her back, okay? She’ll be all right.”

“We could wait here for awhile,” Dale suggested. “The others could have been thinking the same thing as us if they made it off the farm and come here.”

“That’s right,” Shane looked into Carl’s eyes. “It’s too dangerous to go back now. But we can wait here to see if anyone coming, all right?”

Carl looked hopeful at that and nodded.

“Meanwhile, we can get any supplies thatwe still have left here,” Dale suggested. “We’ll need it. Doing something productive to help everyone when they come. Who knows what they need. How about that?”

“That’s a good idea,” Rick nodded, looking at Dale gratefully. They knew they wouldn’t find much. They had taken almost everything when they were first here but at least it would give Carl something to do, something to keep his mindoff of things.

“All right...” Carl nodded. “I can do that.”

“Come on then. You and Jimmy can help me,” Dale said nodding to Rick with a sad smile.

“Thanks, Shane,” Rick said as they watched them working.

“Nah...” Shane waved it off.

“How’s your nose? I broke it, right?” Rick asked in concern.

“Now that you mention it,” Shane winced as the pain started to come back slowly now that the adrenaline started to fade.

“Let me see,” Hershel stepped forward.

Shane was wary as the old man took his face in his hands. After all, the man hated his guts. And for good reason too. Still he let him check him over.

“It’s a bit crooked. I need to reset it. This will hurt,” Hershel warned him.

“All right. Enjoy yourself,” Shane shrugged in resignation.

Hershel smirked as he grabbed his nose and snapped it back into place with a crack. Shane cursed loudly as he pulled away in pain. Rick looked guilty and asked if he was alright.

“What do you think?” Shane snapped but then he took a deep breath and relaxed. “Well, I can breathe better now. I didn’t even notice it was difficult to before. Thanks, Hershel.”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do with the black eye you’re both sporting other than wait for them heal themselves,” Hershel said, examining them with his eyes. It was clear to everyone that they got into a fight before.

“Yeah...I’ll see if I can help them find anything,” Shane said gesturing towards Dale and the others.

Rick nodded.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Hey, we gotta turn around,” Lori said.

Patricia and T-Dog looked at her. Beth was sleeping, sitting in Patricia’s lap with her head on Lori’s shoulder.

“Straight back to that herd?” T-Dog asked incredulously. “No.”

“The highway’s back there. That’s where they’ll be. Rick will go back to where we first broke down. And Glenn too,” Lori argued.

“We’re headed east, get to the coast. We should’ve done that from the jump,” T-Dog shook his head. “Look, we’ve got a shot to get out of here in one piece.”

“I gotta find Carl. He may have escaped with somebody.”

“She could be right. We can’t be the only ones who made it,” Patricia said.

“I hate to say it, but they’re on their own. There’s no way to even begin to start looking...”

“You’re wrong!” Lori cried.

“Look, we can’t go back. I’m sorry. It’s suicide,” T-Dog refused, not without regret.

“All right, then let me out,” Lori said stubbornly as she opened the door in an act to jump out while the car was still running, intending to scare him enough to change his mind. And even if that didn’t work, she still would have jumped. Fortunately for her, it worked.

“Hey! Whoa!” T-Dog shouted as the halted to a stop with a screech.

“Lori, no!” Patricia grabbed her.

Beth snapped awake with all the movement and the shouting.

“Then turn around, or you let us out right now,” Lori said stubbornly.

“I should do it, you know,” T-Dog snapped and when Lori moved to step out he cried, “Okay?!”

“T-Dog...” Lori pleaded.

The dark skinned man tried to calm his racing heart. The poor thing almost got an attack from the woman’s display of stupidity. He was frustrated but it wasn’t like he had a choice. No way he could just leave them, and bitch or not, Lori was still a pregnant woman.

“You’re out of your damn minds!” he snapped again.

Lori slammed the door closed, knowing she had won. T-Dog turned the truck around and went back to where they came from.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Rick and the others hid as the walker growled his way past them. Shane pulled out his knife with a soft growl of his own. Rick shook his head but Shane scoffed at him and walked towards the walker from behind and grabbed it by the head before burying the knife into its skull before it could react.

“That’s the third one so far,” Shane said.

“I don’t know how much longer we can stay here,” Hershel said.

Everyone hesitated as they looked at the walker’s corpse.

“I’m not leaving without mom,” Carl said stubbornly.

Rick sighed. “So we’re just gonna walk away?” he asked. “Not knowing if my wife, your girls are still out there? How do we live with that?”

“No way,” Shane said. He had already lost Harry. He wouldn’t give up on his baby now and knowing how stubborn and manipulative the woman was, he was sure Lori had made it.

“You don’t know that. You don’t know if they made it...” Hershel said.

“You’re a man of God. Have some faith!” Rick hissed.

“I can’t profess to understand God’s plan, but Christ promised the resurrection of the dead,” Hershel wavered. “I just thought he had something a little different in mind.”

Everyone was silent.

“We wait until noon, if no one still shows up, I’ll go back to look for them. Maybe they found some place to hide in the farm. Meanwhile you guys go look for a safe place for the night since I don’t know when I’ll be back,” Shane decided firmly.

Rick was about to protest Shane’s plan when they heard a soft sound. The revving of an engine that got louder. They turned around and saw the car and the truck approaching and came to a stop a little ways away. They looked at each other with hope and growing grins as they ran to welcome the others. Glenn and Maggie were the first ones to get out of the car, followed by T-Dog, Lori, Patricia and Beth.

“Oh thank God!”

Lori cried in relief as she ran to meet her son. Carl hugged her back just as tightly. Rick looked at them and couldn’t help but join in a group hug. His family was safe. Beth and Maggie ran to Hershel for their own tearful reunion. Shane stood there awkwardly, feeling a little saddened and resentfulof the love that was going around.

“Where did you find everyone?” Shane asked Glenn.

“I didn’t. We met halfway on our way here,” Glenn said.

“Where’s the rest of them?” Shane frowned as he noticed someone missing.

“Andrea?” Dale asked as he looked around hopefully.

“Carol was cornered and she went to help her. We saw them go down,” T-Dog said regretfully. Dale’s expression fell.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry....everything happened too fast and we were surrounded...I want to wait but...”

“It’s....it’s not your fault,” Dale said shakily as he leaned on a nearby car but soon slide down to the road. He let out one sniff that turned into another. Everyone looked grave as he cried softly. They knew that he had soft spot for Andrea and Amy. They saw how he treated them like the children he never had. And when they lost Amy, Harry soon refilled the empty place she left behind. Now, he had lost them both.

“I’m sorry, Dale...” T-Dog said, feeling partly responsible as he was the one Andrea partnered with back at the time of chaos.

“It’s not....it’s not anyone’s fault, T-Dog,” Dale breathed deeply to stop his crying.

“You definitely saw Andrea and Carol?” Shane asked T-Dog.

“There were walkers everywhere,” Lori said.

“But did you **see** them?” Shane asked again with impression.

Everyone looked unsure.

“I’m gonna go back and try to look for them. Andrea’s tough and they both got the charms. Who knows, maybe they managed to find a shelter or something,” Shane said as he settled his weapon firmly.

“No,” Rick and Dale said at the same time.

“We can’t just leave them,” Shane snapped.

“Shane, we don’t even know if they’re there,” Lori tried to reason.

“They aren’t there,” Rick insisted.

“How do you know?” Shane glared, hating Rick for giving up so easily. Rick could’ve have laughed at how the table had turned. Now it was Shane who didn’t want to give up, but then again, he did know about Sophia’s death for sure before.

“Like you said, Andrea’s tough and she would try to help Carol. She won’t leave her behind. If they’re not here by now, then they’re somewhere else or....or they’re dead,” Dale said painfully.

“There’s no way to find them,” Rick said softly.

“So we’re not even gonna look for them?” Glenn asked increduluosly. It just didn’t feel right to him.

“We gotta keep moving,” Rick decided regretfully. “There have been walkers crawling all over here.”

“I say head east,” T-Dog suggested.

“Stay off the main roads,” Shane added. “The bigger the road, the more walkers, more assholes like that one,” he nodded to another walker that stumbled into view.

“I got him,” T-Dog said as he grabbed a knife. In a few steps, he was in front of the walker and stabbed it in the head without hesitation.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Both Andrea and Carol ran through the woods as fast as they could. They had been runnning for a while andwere losing stamina. They were just too tired but they couldn’t stop, not with all the walkers stalking them from behind and some from other directions.

They ran and shot at the same time to clear the way. They knew the sound didn’t help but they didn’t have a knife or a machete so they didn’t have a choice. They ran out of ammo soon and Andrea cussed as she was forced to stop to grab more from her bag. They managed to find a little supply of weapon but it was dwindling rather quickly. Carol covered for her as she tried to find more ammo but soon she ran out too.

“I ran out too,” Carol said. She looked away for a second, just a couple of seconds, but even that was enough for a walker to sneak up on her. She shouted in surprise. Andrea shot it just in time and then a couple more to clear the way as Carol grabbed ammo for her own gun and then they started running again.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The group managed to find another car to fit everyone at the highway. They’ve been driving for hours since then. They spent the time in heavy silence. Their thoughts were scattered. Their situation was worse than before they found the farm. They lost four people yesterday and they lost almost all of their supplies. They had no extra clothes and the weather was getting colder as the sun about to set. They didn’t know what to do or where to go. They just drove without any real direction and that vexed Shane. There were also other things that bothered his mind. Something about the ambush at the farm.

“Damn!” Rick cursed as he hit the wheel, bringing Shane out of his musing.

“What’s wrong?” Lori asked.

“We’ve been rinding red for the past hour,” Rick replied.

“Better make sure we don’t get left behind,” Shane waved his hand towards the other cars. They were at the end of the line.

Rick honked at them and one by one they came to a stop. Everyone got out. Shane sighed as he was the last one out.

“You out?” T-Dog asked.

“Running on fumes,” Rick told him.

“We can’t stay here,” Maggie said.

“We can’t all fit in one car,” Glenn pointed out.

“We’ll have to make a run for some gas in the morning,” Rick said as he observed their surroundings for danger.

Shane swept his eyes around and see nothing but he knew better than to let his guard down. Look at what happened at the farm.

“Spend the night here?” Patricia asked.

“I’m freezing,” Carl whined.

“We’ll build a fire, yeah?” Lori assured him.

“You go out looking for firewood, stay close,” T-Dog said. “How we doing on ammo?”

“Not enough,” Rick said agigatedly.

“We can’t just sit here with our asses hanging out,” Maggie said.

“Watch your mouth,” Hershel scolded.

“We don’t have to,” Shane frowned.

“What?”

He went back to the truck and took out the duffel bag.

“That’s Harry’s!” Maggie looked hopeful.

“Got it when I went to grab the weapon bag. Didn’t find it, just this. Let’s see what else we have in here, okay?” Shane said.

“But we already knew everything he left us,” Beth said confused.

“Yeah, but Harry also said it’s bottomless. You can throw anything in there and it would never be full until the charm on the bag expires. Maybe he had forgotten some other things and left it behind too,” Maggie reasoned.

They surrounded Shane as he opened the bag. He pulled out a food container full of snacks. Maggie had packed all the snacks and food Harry left in one box so it was easier to find. Harry left a lot of things but he wasn’t the most organized man around.

“All right, we definitely can use this,” Rick grabbed the box from Shane and handed it to Patricia. “Can you ration this to last as long as it could?”

“Sure,” Patricia nodded as she accepted the box. They had bottles of water and little snacks they got from the highway, the ones they left in case Sophia found the place. This could add to the number and last them longer.

The other items that came out next they already knew. At the end of it, Shane got frustrated enough he shoved his entire arm into the bag and much to everyone’s surprise, it fit. Shane got all his arm, up to his shoulder, in the bag as he rummaged around. He grabbed something and pulled it out to find it was a thick blanket. He handed that over to Lori who wrapped it around a shivering Carl. In the end, they found a box of matchsticks. A couple of jackets and sweaters. More books. A silver hand mirror, Beth flipped it open and close fondly. A pair of boots. Two fluffly pillows, much to everyone’s momentary amusement. A photo album full of what they guess as Harry’s travelling years before he went to college, the moving pictures were amazing but they didn’t have time to look closer. And a medium size tent.

“So, that’s it?” Lori asked in disappoinment. “Not that they’re nothing, but still...”

“I know,” Rick sighed.

“The tent is useful,” Glenn said meekly.

“That can only fit two people, three at most,” Maggie pointed out.

“Guess we’re still on that firewood,” T-Dog said.

“All right, we’ll set up a perimeter,” Rick said. “In the morning, we’ll find gas and some supplies. We’ll keep pushing on.”

“Glenn and I can go make a run now, try and scrounge up some gas,” Maggie suggested.

“No, we stay together. God forbid something happens and people get stranded without a car,” Rick insisted.

“Rick, we’re stranded now...” Glenn pointed out.

“I know it looks bad, we’ve all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other,” Rick said stubbornly, “I wasn’t sure...I really wasn’t...but we did. We’re together. We keep it that way. We’ll find shelter somewhere. There’s gotta be a place.”

Everyone was silent. Shane’s mind whirled as he placed all the items back into the bag.

“Rick, look around. Okay? There’s walkers everywhere. They’re migrating or something...” Glenn tried to reason.

“Glenn is right, Rick,” Dale spoke for the first time since they stopped.

“There’s gotta be a place not just where we hole up, but that we fortify, hunker down, pull ourselves together, build a life for each other. I know it’s out there. We just have to find it!” Rick was outright forceful now. He was getting angry, no, just frustrated. He was really frustrated and panic and no one can really blamed him.

“Even if we do find a place and we think is safe, we can never be sure. For how long? Look what happened with the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinking that that was safe,” Maggie said.

“We won’t make that mistake again,” Hershel assured her.

“We’ll make camp tonight over there, get on the road at day break,” Rick said while pointing to a spot in front of them with broken brick walls.

“What if walkers come through, or another group like Randall’s?” Beth asked.

“That won’t be a problem,” Shane said, “We’ll take care of them. Now that we’re out here with no safe place and supplies, y’all know how it’s going to be now. At least for a while. If  walkers or people like Randall’s group come...”

“We kill or be killed,” Rick nodded.

“That’s it? We’re gonna stoop to that level now?” Dale asked incredulously.

“What’s your suggestion, Dale?” Shane asked, “We got nothing here. No protection, no roof, no walls, limited food, we got a child and women, one of them is pregnant. If a hostile group comes upon us and decides to rob us or kill us? Or worse, capture us and force us to watch them rape the girls? What’s ya gonna do?”

“Shane!” Lori snapped.

“That’s not gonna happen! Not on my watch!” Hershel growled protectively, stepping closer to his daughters.

“Exactly what I mean! The possibilities are there. We can’t play the good guys forever, can’t afford to have high moral ground anymore.”

“You can’t be sure of that,” Dale insisted.

“But if it comes to that? What then?” Shane glared at the old man.

Dale opened and closed his mouth without producing any words. Shane and Rick could see that not everyone was comfortable with the possible situations that Shane had brutally pointed out. Lori looked outright disapproving of them. But no one said anything. Shane snorted.

“I take it everyone agrees then,” Rick finally said. “I’m sure not all of the survivors out there would be vicious like Randall’s group and but still, we won’t make a habit of attacking people unprovoked, but we still need to be cautious of strangers.”

“There’s something else on my mind, Rick,” Shane looked at Rick. “Back at the farm. That walker that Carl took down...”

“What?” Lori looked angry hearing this.

“He saved my life,” Shane didn’t bother to spare her a glance as he explained. “That walker, Rick...it turned....but it wasn’t bit or even scratched and I know that look on your face, Rick. You looked like you know something. What is it?”

“It wasn’t bit? How’s that possible?” Beth asked as everyone turned to look at Rick.

“That walker died from a broken neck before it turned,” Shane said.

“Rick, what the hell happened?” Lori pressed.

Rick looked conflicted, torn between wanting to tell them and to stay silent.

“Tell us, Rick!” Shane snapped.

“...we’re all infected,” Rick said slowly, voice shaking, as if he just spelled their doom and in a way, he did.

“What?”

“At the CDC, Jenner told me. Whatever it is, we all carry it.”

Color drained from their faces. Some of them looked faint at the revelation. Shane brought his hand up and pinched his nose bridge.

“Goddammnit...” Shane said with shaky breathes.

“And you never said anything?” Patricia asked.

“Would it have made a difference?” Rick asked back.

“You knew this whole time?” Glenn shot him accusing look. In fact, most of them did.

“How could I have known for sure? You saw how crazy that mo...”

“That is not your call,” Glenn interuppted. “Okay, when I found out about the walkers in the barn, I told, for the good of everyone.”

“Well, I thought it best that people didn’t know,” Rick countered.

He looked around and found no support. Rick stalked away. Shane sighed.

“Look, that might not be his call, but he did it for a good reason,” Shane told them. “So y’all better not give him hell for it.”

“You’re one to talk...” Hershel started.

“We deserve to know...!” Glenn insisted.

“All of you!” Shane barked at them into silence, “All of you chose him to be your leader! He did what a leader needs to do. Protect his people! Yes, not all of his methods is right but you don’t get to whine when you’re the one who pushed all of that on him! What do you think would happen if y’all knew about it from beginning, huh? What?!”

Everyone stayed silent as they looked at him fearfully. Shane realized this is the first time he lost control of his emotions since yesterday after he stormed out of the farmhouse after finding out about Harry’s departure. Rick or Harry weren’t around to calm him down.

“That’s right. Nothing!” Shane spat. “Nothing’s changed whether you knew it or not, so let it go!”

Then Shane stalked after his best friend.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“I won’t tell, too, you know.”

Rick didn’t turn around as he heard Shane walk up to stand beside him. They had always been equals. They were best friends but they were also rivals in many things. The rivalry never got between them, though. It was all in good fun. But most people didn’t see that. Because of their personalities, people saw Rick as a great man while Shane was the jock with an inflated ego that wanted to be on top. The man just rubbed people the wrong way. Both of them knew better, though. And that was why they worked so well together as partners. Rick had more patience than Shane when it came to people, so he often became the mediator, taking the lead of things, making people think he was the one with leader material when really, both of them were the same. Shane was just shit with people and feelings.

“Won’t tell what?” Rick asked.

“If I was the one Jenner told, I wouldn’t have told them either until the time was right. God forbid they became too busy with self-pity and needless despair they end up being useless for the group and get everyone killed,” Shane replied.

Rick snorted. “And that’s why people think you’re a heartless asshole.”

“Hey, you’re always the good cop. I’m the bad cop. Not sorry for being who I am,” Shane shrugged. “But...maybe it was being who I am that made me lose everything...”

“Shane....”

“Rick.”

“Not everything, brother,” Rick clasped his shoulder, “Not everything. You still have me.”

“You’re right. I still got ya.”

“And Carl.”

“Not sure about that. Cheating with his mom and everything.”

“You know that’s not true. And there’s still the baby.”

Shane laughed without mirth. “Yeah, the baby...”

“Shane?”

“It’s just....if I knew it would hurt this much, that it would come to this...I would never have let him go. Never... I don’t care if I don’t get to be the baby’s daddy...I just never thought it would hurt this much...”

“Shane...”

“I told him not to listen to her and yet I did the exact opposite...”

“Yeah, well....you’re not alone there, buddy. Me and Lori... I don’t know if we can go back. I just...I just couldn’t find it in me to forgive her for doing this to us...I don’t know if I can trust her again.”

“Maybe, but she’s still here, man. And whenever you wanna go back, you can. Mine is out there, driven away by my stupidity... I told him, you know? Told him I love him...”

“You did?” Rick asked surprised.

“Didn’t I tell you when we fought?”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Huh. Well, I did. Practically begged him for another chance...And he still left...”

“I’m so sorry, Shane...”

“Yeah, me too....”

There was an awkward silence.

“Still...they don’t get it. You still don’t get it. Our situation now. It’s...” Shane started after a moment.

“I got it,” Rick said. “I got what you were trying to say all this time, Shane. I just...I don’t wanna lose faith...”

“Faith is good and all of that, man,but...”

“I know. I said I got it, Shane. Losing Harry and the protection he offered...especially after witnessing it last night....I’m not sure that all of us could’ve survived last night if not for his protection charms,” Rick admitted. “Now....without him and without a place to stay, we’re more vulnerable than ever...”

“I wouldn’t take it that far. We did just fine before we found out about the magic. But yeah, we need to be tougher than this, Rick. Can’t play the good cop anymore,” Shane said.

“Well, that’s how I feel. And yeah, can’t be the good cop anymore,” Rick agreed.

“So, how are we gonna do this?”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Andrea and Carol were at the end of their ropes. They were too exhausted, especially Carol who wasn’t use to this kind of work out, and only armed with a small knife and a thick branch each. Several walkers cornered them. They each took one down but the last two they were just too exhausted to dealwith. Didn’t mean they won’t go down swinging, though. Carol swung the branch as hard as she could. The walker went down and she struck it again until the skull shattered beneath the branch, the brain spluttered onto the ground. She dropped to her bottom, knees weakened from the effort, too tired.

Behind her, she could hear a walker shrieked and followed by a thud. She turned around in alarm to see Andrea screamed back at it. She tried to get up to help her but a shadow moved passed her. She gasped at the sight of the hooded figure and scrambled away when two walkers in chain stopped beside her. And then the stranger pulled out a long sword and decapitated the walker that was attacking Andrea in one slice with ease.

Andrea stopped in shock couldn’t tear her eyes of the dark hooded figure with the sword in their hand. The figure was holding a chain connected to two walkers behind them who strangely enough didn’t try to attack them. They made an intimidating image to her. Andrea gulped in fear as the figure stepped forward silently with sword still in hand. Carol quickly scrambled closer to the blonde. They grabbed onto each other as they stared fearfully at the looming figure. Maybe their end wouldn’t be at the hand of walkers after all.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

A pop sounded in the air and two figures appeared in the middle of the field. They looked around and only saw a burned barn and walkers filled farm.

“It’s gone...” Harry said with despair as he looked at the devestation around them.

“But are they gone?” Daryl asked as he loaded his crossbow and shot the closest walker that was attracted to them by the apparation’s sound.

Harry closed his eyes, calling to the souls of every member of the group. If the worst happened, he would feel them coming. He opened his eyes just in time to see Daryl took down another walker. Nothing else.

“No,” he breathed in relief. “None of them dead. Thank Merlin.”

“Now what?” Daryl asked.

“I don’t know...” Harry hesitated. His vision went blur for a second before he found himself in Daryl’s tight grip.

“All right. That decides it. We can look for them, but the group can handle themselves. They got more men and weapons than us. We go back and lay low for a while before going back to look for Merle,” Daryl said.

“You’re right,” Harry nodded as he steadied himself and offered his arm to Daryl, “Let’s go, then.”

Daryl eyed his arm dubiously as he stabbed a walker that tried to sneak up on him without even looking.

“It’s one jump. I can handle it,” Harry would have rolled his eyes but he was afraid that it would bring back the dizziness. The other man just looked at him some more before nodding.

“All right, then,” Daryl grabbed his arm and they disappeared again with a pop just as two other walkers were about to pounce on them.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The day had turned into night. They found a ruin of broken walls and decided to camp inside there as the walls can be use as a form of protection, broken or not. The space was tight, though, so they saved setting up the tent for later. Right now they needed fire to warm themselves up. Everyone was sitting around the fire. T-Dog and Jimmy stood on top of the broken walls with shotguns, keeping watch for anything that might come at them, be it walkers or people. There was a tension around the camp, a result of having no safe place to rest and still progressing the worst news they had heard from Rick earlier.

“He’s right, you know,” Dale spoke up as he poked at the fire with a stick, trying to keep it alive and big enough to warm them all but not enough to bring unwanted attention to them.

“What?” Lori asked.

“Shane. He’s right about what he said...We looked up to Rick to guide us and protect us...”

“He still didn’t have the right to keep something like that from us,” Glenn spoke up.

“He did what he thought was best,” Hershel said. “As much as it pains me to say this, Shane is right. Even if Rick told us, there’s nothing we could do to change that. It would only send us into a storm of despair and hopelessness.”

“Wouldn’t be able to think clearly....” Dale added.

“Would lose the will to live and fight...” Beth whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. Hershel tightened his grip around her.

“We’re the ones who refused to see the world as it is,” Dale said again. “We resented Shane everytime he shoved that fact into our faces, that’s why we turned away from him and looked up to Rick. Because like us, he still wanted to see the best in our situation. He still hoped. But more importantly, he was also still in denial like us. And everytime he failed to rise up to our expectation, we blamed him...”

“But now we know better. We won’t be caught off guard again,” Hershel said confidently.

“No, we won’t.”

Everyone jumped in surprise as Rick and Shane came out of the darkness. Shane had two dead rabbits in his hand, holding them by the ears.

“Dinner,” he said. “Not much, but it’s the only thing I could find.”

“It’s better than nothing,” Patricia said. “Here, let me help you with that.”

“I take it that you guyshave finally come to terms with our situation and with Rick’s decision for notetelling us about the virus before?” Shane asked.

“We’re on our way there,” Hershel replied.

“We still need a safe place, more food and warmer clothes. It’s gonna be fall soon and before we realize it, it would be winter. So what do we do now?” Dale asked.

“For now? We try to survive,” Rick said.

**~ To be continued ~**


	24. Chapter 24

The silence was broken with a bang as the door swung open. Before the two walkers behind the door could react, three men swept inside and shot them dead in the head. They were followed by a boy and they began to look around to secure the house.

Two of the men almost shot at each other as they checked a closed door at the end of a tiny, claustrophobia-inducing storage room from opposite sides of the door. The boy found a walker in one of the bedrooms and took it down using his silenced gun with ease. The other man, dark skinned and bald headed, accompanied his curly haired, gaunt looking friend up the stairs. They didn’t find anything dangerous. The gaunt-looking guy found an owl still alive and perching on a chair in one of the rooms. He shot it immediately. After checking under the feathers, he scoffed in dissapoinment as he can see there was barely any meat on the animal. It seemed that humans weren’t the only ones suffering from starvation in the apocalypse, even though the wild animals were more used to hunting their own food than them before all of this. He still took it downstairs with him, though. It was still better than nothing after all. 

An Asian guy and his woman friend came in from the backdoor in the kitchen after checking the perimeter. They helped with moving the bodies near the stairs. House secured, the first guy who stormed into the house opened the front door wide and whistled to the rest of their companions who turned around from their lookout and waiting spot and immediately moved towards the house when he gave the sign.

A teenage boy and girl, a middle aged woman, two elderly men and a heavily pregnant woman came into view. They didn’t say anything as they moved inside. The pregnant woman tried to smile at the man at the door but she was ignored. Disheartened, she moved past him. She paused when she saw the curly haired man came down the stairs. They locked eyes for a second before she turned away from the haunted and empty look in his eyes. It reminded her too much of a walker if not for the color.

The boy was checking all the cupboards and the pantry in the kitchen and found only two cans of pet food. But beggars can’t be choosers so he took them with him and went to the living room where others were gathered. They watched in silence and dismay as the boy pried the can open. They already knew that they didn’t have much choice anymore in life but it still pained them to know that they had been pushed to the point of sharing food with pets that probably had been long dead.

The boy’s father, however, snatched the can from him. He slammed it to the fireplace after one look and didn’t say anything else. He just looked around to see if anyone was going to protest. He refused to let any of them to be that desperate, let alone his boy. No one said anything. The boy just slumped in disappointment and sat there ignoring the other unopened can.

The bald man just turned around and saw something that caught his attention. Others were coming. He motioned to the group and soon they began moving again, forced to leave the relatively safe place they just had found.

It had been months since the farm. Two seasons had passed. They were in the middle of the third one and Rick and his people were still straying around the road, living a life on the run like criminals with barely time to rest.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Finding a road that was relatively safe and free of walkers at the moment, everyone decided to stop to rest and discuss their next move. Carl was charged with keeping a look out on the front with Jimmy in the back. Lori stayed in the car napping, being almost nine months pregnant and about to give birth any day now was taking its toll on her. Map was spread open on the hood of one of the cars. They examined the areas that were still unexplored but it was mostly covered with red X marks for walker infested areas.

“We got no place left to go,” T-Dog said hopelessly.

“When this herd meets up with this one, we’ll be cut off. We’ll never make it south,” Maggie sighed as her fingers moved across the map.

“What was it? That was about 150 head?” Dale asked.

“That was last week. It could be twice that by now,” Shane growled as he looked at the map critically. Some people jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance.

“This river could have delayed them. If we move fast, we might have a shot to tear right through there,” Hershel suggested.

“Yeah, but if this group joins with that one, they could spill out this way,” T-Dog pointed out.

“So we’re blocked?” Maggie sighed again.

“Only thing to do is double back at 27 and swing towards Greenville,” Rick said.

“Yeah, we picked through that already. It’s like we spent the winter going in circles,” T-Dog reminded him.

“Yeah, I know,” Rick cut in, “At noon we’ll push west. Haven’t been through there yet. We can’t keep going house to house. Need to find someplace to hole up for a few weeks.”

“All right. Is it cool if we get to the creek before we head out? Won’t take long. We got to fill up on water. We can boil it later,” T-Dog asked.

“Knock yourself out,” Rick nodded.

“She can’t take much more of this moving about,” Hershel told Rick as the others dispersed. Shane tensed in the background.

“What else can we do? Let her give birth on the run?” Rick asked.

“Do you see a way around that?” Hershel asked in return.

Rick sighed in resignation. But there was also nothing they can do. He noticed Shane moving out of the corner of his eyes. His brother had changed so much since the farm. So had their relationship. They still made decisions together, discussed them ahead of time before voicing it to others when they had a meeting. Usually it was Rick who took the lead so people would accept the decisions easier. Just like back in the old days in the county.

But beyond that, they rarely talked anymore. Shane had become more and more withdrawn with time. His temper was also becoming more unstable. No one in the group really disliked him. Instead, they felt sorry for him. Losing his lover and having to take care of Lori during the pregnancy, a screaming reminder of his loss and the choices he had made and deeply regretted, had taken its toll on him.

Still, no matter how much they pitied him, they also feared him, mostly they feared his temper. He had snapped before. He would have broken Jimmy’s arm if Rick hadn’t stopped him in time. The boy was left with a sprained wrist instead, and a bruise to his gut from the kicking the older man had managed to slip in as he was dragged away from the boy. No one really understood what had happened either. Shane didn’t really remember. And that was what made people wary of him. The man himself realized what he was slowly becoming so he became even more withdrawn. He lost a lot of weight. Sure, everyone had lost a lot of weight since they had to ration their supplies to last as long as possible, but Shane had lost a lot more than any of them. He looked worse than Rick when he first came out of his coma. And with his pale skin and sunken cheeks, a lot of the time he was almost shot by their own people because they thought he was a walker whenever he came back from hunting or patrol. He rarely slept or talked to anyone. Any sound that came out of his mouth was mostly growls which wasn’t helping with their habit of mistaking him for a walker. He stopped talking to Lori entirely the last few weeks, just handing her whatever she needed without any word. Rick was the only one he still spoke to like a human being and even that was mostly decision-making talk, no small talks about everything and nothing anymore.

“Where are you going?” Rick asked Shane as he watched the other man preparing his gear.

“Hunting. The owl from back there wasn’t much,” Shane grunted.

“I’m coming with you,” Rick said.

“No need. I can handle it,” Shane waved him off.

“Two are better than one,” Rick insisted. “Besides, you look like you’re about to fall over. You shouldn’t have given up your portion of the last meal we had.”

“She needed it more,” Shane vaguely nodded to the car where Lori was napping.

“Lori had her portion and it was already bigger than the rest of ours,” Rick frowned.

“Wasn’t talking about her,” Shane grunted.

“You still need to take better care of yourself, Shane. We can’t afford to lose one of our best fighters,” Rick chided.

“You still wanna hunt with me or not?” Shane glared at him, annoyed.

“Of course,” Rick nodded.

Rick told the others where they were going before catching up with Shane who already went ahead of him. They walked through the woods for a few minutes before they encountered an abandoned train track. It was easier walking on the track. So far, there weren’t any walkers in the area. They followed the track until it was open on one side. Shane was ahead of Rick and stopped short the moment he registered what he was seeing.

The woods opened to a huge clearing where a prison was located. The place was full of walkers of former prisoners but the yard was huge and they were pretty far apart from each other. It could hardly be called a herd since they were so scattered. The rest were probably still locked up in their cells. The building, the fences and the gates were also all intact with no damage. The wheels in his brain started spinning faster as he observed the sight. He looked at Rick who was also looking at the sight with wonder and hope. Their eyes met and smirks were shared.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Telling the others about what they had found and coming up with a plan were easy. At first, some were uncertain seeing as the place was full of walkers. But between their best strategists – Rick, Shane and Glenn – they managed to come up with a plan that convinced everyone.

Taking all the necessary tools, they left the cars on the road as they didn’t want the sound drawing any attention before they were ready.

There were a few walkers in the area surrounding the prison, but it was nothing they couldn’t handle. Shane and T-Dog took guard while they were waiting for Rick to finish cutting a hole on the outer fence with a wire cutter. The moment it was done, everyone quickly slipped in and Glenn wasted no time to sew the hole up with their own wire supply before any walker from outside could slip in.

Now they were in the safe path between the outer fence and the inner one which blocked them from the walkers in the yard. The sound they made drew the attention of all the walkers. The geeks attacked the fence furiously at the first humans they encountered for who knows how long. The group ignored them as they ran through the path until they found the guard tower and the gates. There were two gates. One leading outside the prison while the other lead to the yard. Both were closed but the second one was also blocked by a turned over prison bus.

Taking a closer look, Shane saw that the gate on the other side of the yard, leading to the prison, was open. It could draw more walkers if there were more wondering free inside, instead of locked up in the cells.

“Gate’s open,” Shane nodded to Rick. “But if we can shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard...”

“We can pick off these walkers. It’s perfect,” Rick breathed, excited.

“We’ll take the field by tonight,” Shane nodded again.

“So how do we shut the gate?” Hershel asked.

“I’ll do it. You guys cover me,” Glenn volunteered.

“No, it’s a suicide run,” Maggie protested.

“I’m the fastest,” Glenn argued.

“No. You, Maggie and Beth draw as many as you can over there. Pop ‘em through the fence,” Rick pointed to the opposite direction they came from, the other safe side of the path. And then he pointed to the tower near the fence they came from. “Shane, go back to the other tower.”

Shane was ready to protest but Rick held up his hand.

“I know what you’re thinking, but I stand firmly to what I said earlier. you look like you’re about to fall over. To the tower, Shane. Please,” Rick pleaded.

Shane glared at him and then stalked away with a growl.

“Jimmy, you’ve become a pretty good shot. You’re with Shane,” Rick said and thought again when he saw the fear on Jimmy’s face. “Just keep your mouth shut around him and focus on your task, then he won’t touch you. We need to do this, Jimmy.”

The boy nodded jerkily. Beth patted her boyfriend’s arm in sympathy before running off after Maggie and Glenn.

“Jimmy, take your time. We don’t have a lot of ammo to waste,” Rick reminded him.

The boy nodded again before leaving for his post.

“Hershel, Dale, you both take this tower,” Rick gestured to the tower beside them. Both nodded and left.

“I’ll run for the gate,” Rick decided.

“Dad, what about me? I can shoot,” Carl asked, wanting to help.

“Carl...”

“Glenn and the others can always use more help,” T-Dog said as he also remained unassigned of any task. “Let’s go help them. Draw more walkers away so it will be safer for your dad.”

Rick nodded in agreement. “Yeah, can you do that, Carl?”

“Okay,” Carl nodded as he followed T-Dog. Rick mouthed his thanks to the other man.

Glenn gave a pair of locks with connected chains for the other gate to Rick. Soon after, the diversion team was screaming and hitting the fence on the other side, drawing more and more walkers to them before stabbing them through the head.

Once the gate was deserted enough, Patricia opened the gate for Rick and the man ran off as quickly as he could. Behind him, the gate behind the bus was closed again. Everyone on the tower started shooting at the walkers in the yard to make way for him. Rick was brought to a stop when a shot almost got him. He looked up to find Jimmy shouting an apology to him. He continued running until he reached the gate. He managed to close and lock up the gate. And quickly slipped into the tower near the gate before any of the walkers could get to him.

“He did it!” Jimmy shouted to the others.

“All right. Let’s finish this,” Dale shouted to everyone when he saw the signal Shane gave them.

Rick joined the shooting from his own tower. Patricia and Lori also joined from their place near the gate. Soon, no walkers were left walking in the yard. Once it was done, everyone went back to the gate.

“It was fantastic!” Jimmy said as soon as he caught sight of the others. Beth greeted him with a hug.

“Nice shooting. Glad to see you still in one piece,” she joked.

“Yeah,” he laughed. Hershel clapped him on the back in approval.

Everyone started to pour into the yard.

“You okay?” Patricia asked Lori, concerned about her condition after the shooting session.

“I haven’t felt this good in weeks,” Lori smiled.

“Good,” Patricia nodded.

“Oh!” Maggie laughed as she walked through the gate. “We haven’t had this much space since we left the farm!”

Everyone cheered at the turn of their fortune. Shane was the last one to walk through the gate. He made sure the gate was closed and locked before joining the others. While it was a good thing they had a temporarily safe place for now, he hardly could feel anything other than numbness. Rick went back for him with a concern looked on his face, though one could still see the happiness he was feeling at their accomplishment.

“You okay, Shane?” Rick asked.

“Yeah,” Shane nodded.

“That’s good,” Rick clapped him on the shoulder.

“We still have to go get the cars,” Shane reminded him.

“Yeah, but let everyone breath in our success first,” Rick said.

“I guess it’s time then?” Glenn asked as the duo joined the group.

“What?” Shane growled.

Rick laughed. “That’s right. Pull up the tent!”

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

**_Seven months ago..._ **

The tent was something they didn’t expect. A week after they left the farm, they still hadn’t managed to find new shelter for the group. The last of their food supplies were also gone that day and they still hadn’t had the chance to hunt again. It was raining that night. The group managed to find a barn house to take shelter in in the middle of nowhere, but the barn was damaged. The roof had so many broken spots that it offered only a little protection from the rain. The doors were missing so they used the cars to block the way for protection against wandering walkers, in case there were any. Some decided to stay in the cars to avoid the rain but they couldn’t fit all of them if they wanted any sleep. The one that got to guard the doorway took their spot on top of a car.

The rest went inside the barn and tried to find comfortable spot to rest. They ended up moving things to block parts of the walls that were broken before they could really settle in. They tried to light a fire but it was difficult against the rain and wind so they ended up shivering and cuddled up against each other for heat.

Then someone remembered the tent. They thought to let, at least, Carl and Lori to sleep comfortably in the tent since one was a child and the other was pregnant suffering from backache, making sleeping in the car difficult. The tent would protect them from the rain and wind and, hopefully, offer a little warmth. And if there was space left, the next youngest person would get the spot, namely Beth.

So they brought up the tent inside the barn. It was a pretty standard tent, though Rick and Shane were pretty confused with the pipe that was supposedly went to the hole on top of the tent. It made the pipe looked like a chimney. They didn’t plan to install the pipe but did it in the end anyway. Carl was ready to fall asleep so he was the first one to slip in. But the moment he did, all of his exhaustion was forgotten. His loud exclamation of surprise drew everyone’s attention. He scrambled out and looked at the tiny tent. He ran around the tent, ignoring everyone’s question. He slipped in again, only his head this time, and squawked again in surprise.

“It’s bigger on the inside!” Carl told them before quicly slipped into the tent.

“Did he just...?” Shane asked.

“Yeah, that’s a quote from his favorite show, right?” Rick nodded.

“What does he mean?” Beth asked. “Does he mean the tent is like Harry’s bag?”

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief. Carl’s head popped out again.

“What are you guys waiting for? Dad, you have to see this!” he said excitedly.

So, everyone other than the guards, which were Jimmy and T-Dog much to their annoyance, peeked inside the tent to see what the fuss was about. Their eyes widened in surprise at what they saw and they quickly shuffled in one by one. From their spot on top of the cars at the opposite ends of the barn, Jimmy and T-Dog watched in disbelief as EVERYONE disappeared inside the tiny tent.

“This is not fair! I really wanna see!” Jimmy whined.

“You’re telling me!” T-Dog growled.

Inside, everyone looked around in disbelief. The tent wasn’t a normal tent at all. It really was bigger on the inside like Carl said. Much, much bigger. The fabric covering the inside of the tent was an off white color. The pillars holding up the tent were made of wood except for the one in the centre. It was made of big pole of steel and at the base was an old fashioned stove with a built-in furnace. Turned out, that pipe really was a chimney. There was a pantry nearby the stove and a couple of cupboards and a cute little sink completed the area as a small kitchen.

On the back of the tent, there was a wooden partition and they found an equally old fashion metal bath tub with curvy elegant legs. A toilet was sitting nearby a sink. Seemed like they found the bathroom. On the opposite side of the tent behind the partition was a couch, a couple of love seats, a coffee table and a bookshelf. Carl flipped open a fabric partition that seemed to hide something and he found two cots with a small bedside table and a big trunk at the end of one of the cots. He opened the trunk and found it half filled with blankets and clothes in somewhat organized mess.

“How is this possible?” Lori whispered in wonder.

“This is amazing!” Beth breathed in amazement.

And everyone broke into agreement and laughter.

“I love magic!” Carl exclaimed loudly, earning another round of laughter from everyone.

Patricia opened the cupboards in the kitchen area and found them full of food supplies and appliances. Everyone cheered and cried with relief at the sight.

“This place is bigger than my apartment in Atlanta. Wait...is that meat?” Glenn asked.

Patricia pulled out the wrapped meat and gasped, “It’s cold! And still fresh!”

“Really? But how?!” he asked in surprise.

“Magic,” Dale wiggled his eyebrows at him.

Everyone laughed again.

“Look at this,” Maggie observed the cupboard. She ran her hands over the carving on the inside of the cupboard, including the doors. “These are...runes, right? This must be what is keeping the food in good condition.”

“Once again, I love magic!” Carl grinned, “Can we eat then? I’m starving!”

“Of course,” Patricia smiled.

“I guess everyone are going to stay the night here, then,” Rick grinned.

“It’s for the best,” Shane shrugged.

“Hey, what’s going on in there?!” T-Dog’s voice whispered near the opening of the tent.

“I’m gonna let them in so they can see,” Shane said. “I’ll take the post for now.”

“All right, I’m with you,” Rick nodded.

They walked out and soon T-Dog and Jimmy stumbled in and exclaimed in surprise and wonder at the sight. Shane took post at one end of the barn and Rick at the other. There was nothing outside other than their cars and the rain. Unnoticed by anyone, Shane began to hate magic. Especially, whenever someone used the duffel bag. While it was pretty useful and this time it saved their life with the food and shelter and everything, it was also a painful reminder to Shane of what he had lost. Or more accurately, who he had lost.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

**_Present day..._ **

It was night by the time they got the cars back to the prison and settled down in the yard. Everyone sat around the campfire in front of the tent. While the tent offered more warmth and comfort, they liked to stay outside most of the time if they weren’t resting. In case they needed to leave at a moment’s notice and had to pull the tent down quickly. The girls brought what little was left of their food supplies out after cooking. While they had a magic tent and magic cupboards that kept their food in good condition, that didn’t mean the cupboard was capable of replicating any supplies they had consumed. Whatever food supplies Harry left behind in the cupboards had ran out before the first season passed. They considered it luck, though, to be able to preserve whatever food they found later to make it last as long as it could, especially the meat from their hunting.

That night, they were having barbeque with what little meat they managed to hunt that day, which wasn’t much. Everyone was relaxed for the first time in weeks. Shane was taking post at the prison gate, on top of the overturned bus while Rick walked a parameter around the fences. Glenn moaned as he sucked at the last sap out of the bone in his hand.

“Just like mom used to make,” he said, earning a smile from Maggie by his side.

Lori ate her dinner in silence as she kept her eyes on Rick. She didn’t really pay attention as T-Dog began to talk.

“Tomorrow we’ll put all the bodies together. Want to keep them away from that water. Now, if we can dig a canal under the fence, we’ll have plenty of fresh water,” he suggested.

“The soil is good,” Hershel said as he examined the ground, “We could plant some seed. Grow some tomatoes, cucumbers, soybeans.”

He looked up and around. Everyone began to see a future in this place. Ironic that it was a prison, but it was much better than out there. They weren’t about to be picky. Hershel’s eyes landed on Rick’s form at the edge of the yard.

“That’s his third time around,” he said, “If there was any part of it compromised, he’d have found it by now.”

Lori looked down. No one had voiced it, but they all knew that both Rick and Shane had done everything they could to avoid her, came up with any reason they could. Rick more so than Shane who had less excuse to do so since he had to take care of her because of the baby. Beth bit her lips at how hurt and resigned Lori looked.

“This’ll be a good place to have the baby. Safe,” Beth said, trying to brigthen the mood.

Lori looked at her and smiled in thanks.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Shane barely spared a glance as he heard Dale struggle to climb up the bus. The man huffed as he finally managed to climb up. Shane saw that he struggled so much because he was climbing with the help of only one hand, the other was busy carrying a plate and a shotgun attached to his back.

“You could’ve helped, you know,” Dale shot him a small glare.

“Why? It’s not like I want the company,” Shane raised an eyebrow at him.

Dale scoffed and shoved the plate to him, “Here. If no one brings you something, you won’t eat at all. And everyone is afraid to come anywhere near you nowadays.”

“Not everyone I guess,” Shane muttered, “Just give it to her.”

“You already skipped the last meal. You can’t keep this up, Shane. You need the strength. So, eat!” Dale glared at him as he settled down with his shotgun, determined to take post while the younger man ate his dinner.

Shane scowled at him but ate without complaint.

“You need to take care of yourself, Shane,” Dale said.

“I thought you didn’t like me,” Shane’s scowl deepened at the prospect of a lecture.

“I didn’t. I used to think that you were made for this world, you know. This new, harsh and cruel world. Because it was just like you. Harsh and cold-hearted, ugly, thinking about no one but yourself, willing to do just anything, sacrifice anyone just to get what you want. I’ve met men like you in my life and you were so similar to them,” Dale spoke bluntly.

Shane’s grip on the plate tightened.

“But then Harry came....”

“Don’t say his name!” Shane snapped.

“....and you changed,” Dale ignored him. “But he made me realize that it wasn’t him. You were already a good man before he came. You have anger issues, but you also have great restraint on them. Otherwise, you would’ve went psychotic long before that.”

Shane snorted, “What makes you think I won’t now? Especially with a stubborn old man around that keeps on shoving his nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“Because I’ve seen you loved and be loved,” Dale said seriously. “It’s not that you have anger issues. It’s more like when you feel something, you feel it deeply. More than others, it seems. You just have more restraint on them. Sometimes your reactions to those feelings suck big time, yes. But it still doesn’t change the fact that you’re a good man. A good man who has lost his anchor.”

“Is there any point in this conversation? Because I’m not seeing it,” Shane glared.

“You need to find your anchor again, Shane. It used to be Rick and then Lori, then Harry, and now you’re back to Rick but he also has lost his own anchor and you both are like desperate men clinging to each other trying to keep yourself floating in the middle of the ocean. It works but it won’t work forever. Both you and Rick are fraying at the seams. He more than you because he doesn’t just hold you both together but also all of us, while you just withdraw from everyone.”

“And you want to what? Blame me because everyone’s miserable? That ain’t my fault!”

“Just stop the pity party and let us in. You’ve been building walls around your heart since Harry left. You need to learn to bring them down again, Shane. If not for letting everyone in, then at least for your daughter. It won’t be long before she’s here and she’s gonna need you. You’ve lost so much for her. Don’t let yourself lose her too.”

“You know what, Dale? Why don’t you take the post? I’m gonna go and do something better than stand here and listen to you. I’m gonna go take a nap.”

With those parting words, Shane jumped off the bus, leaving Dale who only could watched him with a shake of his head.

“Whoa, where you going, Shane?” Glenn asked when Shane shoved his empty plate to him as he walked by.

“Sleep,” Shane snapped and made his way into the tent.

Everyone looked at each other in awkward silence as the man disappeared from view. Hershel cleared his throat to break the tension.

“Bethy, sing Paddy Reilly for me,” he asked, “I haven’t heard that, I think, since your mother was alive.”

“Daddy, not that one, please,” Maggie pleaded.

Hershel sighed and then suggested again, “How about ‘Parting Glass’?”

“No one wants to hear,” Beth told him.

“Why not?” Glenn asked.

Beth looked at him and then shrugged, “Okay.”

_~“Of all the money e’er I had_

_I spent it in good company_

_And all the harm e’er I’ve ever done_

_Alas it was to none but me_

_And all I’ve done for want of wit_

_To memory now I can’t recall_

_So fill to me the parting glass_

_Good night and joy be with you all”~_

Everyone swayed a little enjoying the clear sound coming out of her. Shane tossed and turned restlessly on his place at the couch inside the tent. He grabbed his pillow and covered his head to block out the sound. Maggie smiled and joined to sing with her sister.

_~“Oh, all the comrades that e’er I had_

_Were sorry for my going away_

_And all the sweethearts that e’er I had_

_Would wish me one more day to stay”~_

Carl looked up as Rick came over and crouched besides him. He offered a plate of food to his father who then passed it over to his mother.

“I had some,” she said, but he didn’t budge so she took some anyway.

Dale turned around at the sound of the song. Smiling, he climbed down the bus and joined the group.

_~”But since it falls unto my lot_

_That I should rise and you should not_

_I’ll gently rise and I’ll softly call_

_Good night and joy be with you all_

_Good night and joy be with you all”~_

“Beautiful,” Hershel and Dale said at the same time.

Everyone smiled. Rick, on the other hand, still had his serious and thinking look on his face.

“Better all turn in,” he said. “I’ll take watch over there. Got a big day tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?” Glenn asked confused.

“Look, I know we’re all exhausted. This was a great win. But we’ve got to push just a little bit more,” Rick then explained. “Most of the walkers are dressed as guards and prisoners. Looks like this place fell pretty early. It could mean the supplies may be intact. They’d have an infirmary, a commissary.”

“An armory?” T-Dog suggested.

“That would be outside the prison itself, but not too far away. Warden’s offices would have info on the location. Weapons, food, medicine. This place could be a gold mine,” Rick said passionately.

“We’re dangerously low on ammo,” Hershel reminded. “We’d run out before we make a dent.”

“That’s why we have to go in there... Hand to hand,” Rick said

Everyone was quiet. Nervous. Hesitant. Dale looked at the tent.

“Shane already knows this plan. We came up with it when we went back for the cars,” Rick told Dale when he followed his look. “After all we’ve been through, we can handle it. I know it. Shane knows it. These assholes don’t stand a chance.”

When he got no reply, Rick sighed and got up. Everyone looked thoughtful. Lori was the only one watching her husband as he got back to the fence he already checked out three times previously. She got up to her feet with a little difficulty and went to approach her husband.

“Psst,” Lori whispered to him. He stopped a few feet away from the camp and turned around with a sigh.

“I appreciate everything you’re doing...”

“Me and Shane,” he cut her off.

“I...I know,” she said startled, “And I appreciate it. We all do. But it’s been a death march and they’re exhausted. Can we just enjoy it for a few days?”

“The baby will be here in a few days. There’s no time for a picnic,” he reminded her.

“No, but it’s time to get the house in order,” she argued.

“What do you think I’m doing?”

 “Your absolute best...”

“Don’t patronize me,” Rick scoffed at her, walking away.

“I’m not,” Lori said, hot on his heels, “I’m just saying the baby is about to be here and we need to talk about...”

“About what?” Rick turned and met her eyes fiercely.

Lori inhaled, surprised and lost for words for a moment. “Things...we’ve been avoiding...”

Rick scoffed at her again. “You want to talk? Talk to Hershel, or to Dale. Or better yet, since it’s about the baby, talk to the father. I’m doing stuff, Lori. ‘Things’.... Isn’t that enough?”

Lori looked hurt for a second.

“I’m still here,” he reminded.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she said softly.

Rick looked at her and when she said or did nothing more than blinking away what he suspected was the beginning of tears, he walked away. He wasn’t ready to deal with this. The pain from what she had done had dulled over the months, but it was still there and it wasn’t easy with the daily reminder every time he looked at her and then at his brother and their group, what her betrayal had cost them. Especially both of them.

Lori just stood there, trying her best to keep herself together as the man she loved walked away from her. Again.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The weather was quite bright the next day. The peaceful silence of the ghost town was disturbed with a jingle from the door of the local grocery store. For grocery store. Like most of the places nowadays, it had been raided and damaged and, of course, infested with the walkers.

A slim, silent figure moved smoothly through the racks, fully aware of the growling and the steps of the walkers looking for prey. The figure, a woman with mocha skin and dreadlocks bound in bandana, kicked and slayed a lonely walker’s head off with a swing of her wicked looking sword and took care of its two companions just as easily.

Finding what she was looking for scattered on the floor, she grabbed two packs of aspirin and made her way out.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Everyone took position in front of the gate that was standing between the yard and the prison. Shane, T-Dog, Glenn, and Maggie each with their own weapons. Rick holding onto the chain lock, and Hershel took his position as the one to close the gate as soon as they were in until the place was secure.

“Ready?” Hershel looked at them.

With a nod, Rick opened the gate and the humans started to pour in and attack any walker in sight. Rick joined them and Hershel quickly closed the gate. The rest of the group was making such a ruckus at the other side of the fence to scatter the walkers as much as they could to help their people inside while taking down the walkers that actually came to them.

The group inside the prison moved in circle, back to back, covering all sides and attacked any walkers that coming close their way. T-Dog saw a riot shield and tried to get it.

“Don’t break away!” Rick barked.

“We might need that,” T-Dog said as he grabbed the shield just in time for a walker to walk over to him and he pushed it down with the shield. Maggie quickly worked to put it down.

They quickly hid when they saw the courtyard was full of walkers and the gate was opened. From another direction, a pair of walkers with police armors and gears complete with helmets were attracted to the noise they made and came out from a corner. And then another pair of walkers with the same armors and gears also came from the courtyard, making it four of fully protected walkers. Shane narrowed his eyes, looking at the approaching walkers with calculating look. Rick turned to him and, with a nod, they started to attack.

Shane made quick work of grabbing the walker’s helmet, tilting up its head to the sky and stabbing it quickly on the underside of its jaw, straight to the brain. The walker fell to floor with a thud. The others who had difficulties saw this and quickly copied his method. Walkers after walkers, they took them down. It wouldn’t stop if they didn’t close the courtyard’s gate, though. There were too many in there. Moving in sync, Rick and Shane made their way to the gate. Shane grabbed the gate while Rick kicked some walkers back inside the courtyard, making sure none were in the way, and they quickly shut the gate with a chain lock that was conveniently there. Lucky them.

Gate closed. Shane and Rick joined the group again and took down more walkers that were still on their side. After looking around and finding no more walkers to kill, they observed the place more. Glenn ran towards the gate to the yard to let everyone else in.

“Stop!” Rick told him.

“Well, it looks secure,” Glenn said, but he stopped anyway.

“Nothing will lead to that courtyard over there,” Shane said and then pointing at one of the dead walkers, “And that’s a civilian.”

“So the interior could be over run by walkers from outside the prison,” T-Dog concluded.

“Well, if there’s walls, then, what are we gonna do? We can’t rebuild this whole place,” Glenn said.

“I’ll carry us to blind spot. We have to push in,” Rick pointed towards stairs on the building in the opposite direction of the courtyard.

They made their way into the building carefully. Looking out for any danger. So far, they found none. The place was trashed. Rick managed to find keys to the prison cells. Unlocking the cell block, they made their way inside. Rick checked the door on the other side of the block to make sure it was locked and secured. They didn’t want any surprises. The cells on the lower ground were all opened and some were filled with dead walkers. Upstairs was a bit different. Some of the cells were still locked and former inmates turned walkers were inside some of them. It was decided that they would clean out all the walkers while one of them went to get the rest of the group to move in to the block.

“What do you think?” Rick asked them as they moved in.

“Home sweet home,” Glenn said as he brought in some of their stuff.

“For the time being.”

“It secure?” Lori asked.

“This cell block is,” Rick assured them.

“What about the rest of the prison?” Hershel asked.

“In the morning, we’ll find the cafetaria and infirmary,” Rick told them.

“We’ll sleep in the cells?” Beth asked, like she couldn’t believe that this was actually happening.

No one could blame her, especially after getting comfortable in Harry’s tent. But the tent was for only if their location was secured enough and it wasn’t really efficient if dangers came without warning and the only way out was blocked by said dangers. Since they didn’t know what the effect on the tent and on them would be if they tore their way out of the walls in the face of danger – not to mention if there would be any walkers on the other side because they can’t see exactly what was on the outside since the inside didn’t match the outside – they didn’t want to test it if they could avoid it. So, now that they had decent rooms complete with beds, even if they were prison cells, it would still be comfortable enough and safer for them. Not to mention more freedom and privacy.

“I found keys on some guards. Shane has a set too,” Rick said.

Everyone looked up in time to see Shane disappear into the farthest cell upstairs. They shrugged and began to settle in.

“Thank you,” Lori touched Rick on the arm with a grateful smile.

Rick just turned away and made his way out of the block.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Pretty gross,” Beth commented as she observed the cell she chose.

“Yeah, remember the storage units?” Carl asked as he followed her, “We’d be miserable if not for the tent.”

Dumping her bags to the side, Beth sat on the lower bunk bed, bouncing slightly and patting the mattress. “It’s actually pretty comfortable. Check it out,” she said as she tried lying down to the mattress.

Carl stepped closer to the bed. Standing on his toes, he checked over the bed on the upper bunk, unaware of the figure stepping up behind him. Just as he was about to dump his backpack, the figure spoke.

“You find your cell yet?” Hershel asked.

Startled, Carl turned around with a blush and stammered, “Yeah, I was just making sure Beth was safe. See you tomorrow.”

“See you,” Beth waved.

Hershel looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but his eyes sparkled. Beth just smiled, shrugging. It wasn’t much of a secret that Carl had a crush on Beth, even though she had a boyfriend. Said boyfriend passed the cell and paused when he saw Hershel and Beth. Hershel raised his eyebrow at him. Jimmy flushed.

“I-I’ll just be rooming with Carl,” he stammered.

“Good idea,” Hershel nodded.

Beth giggled as Jimmy also fled. “Daddy...”

“You take the upper bunk,” Hershel decided with a chuckle.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Dry blood splattered across the wall of the cell they chose. Maggie sighed.

“I’m so exhausted, I don’t even care,” Maggie said as she and Glenn placed their bag on the upper bunk of the bed.

“Here, let me see,” Glenn said as he sat beside Maggie on the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking for scratches,” Glenn replied.

Maggie smiled fondly and just let him.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

Patricia and Lori moved to one of the cells upstairs. It was on the opposite side of Shane’s cell. They sat together on the bed for awhile, just resting and smiling in relief, especially Lori with her almost full-term pregnancy belly.

T-Dog ended up rooming with Dale. Rick hadn’t decided on any cell yet. He would most likely choose the one closest to the block’s gate for security reasons. Anywhere away from Lori and Shane. The later mostly because the man wouldn’t appreciate a roommate, being the broody and temperamental guy he was nowadays.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The dark and mysterious samurai lady made her way inside a building after checking the perimeter. She made her way past two walkers, with missing jaws and limbs and chained to a post, to the next room. The building was previously used as a butchery for local hunters. As she closed the door behind her, she listened to the silence and frowned.

Quickly, she made her way to the back of the room, hand on the handle of her sword. Stepping in to the next room, she stopped at the sight of Carol helping Andrea on the floor.

“What are you two doing out here?” she frowned.

“Michonne,” Carol sighed in relief, “She’s being stubborn. Her fever doesn’t seem to get any worse but it’s still bad.”

“I’m...fine... I needed some light...,” Andrea moaned quietly.

Michonne, the samurai lady, kneeled and reached into her bag. She took out the medicine and the water she managed to scavenge and handed them to Carol who quickly helped Andrea to sit as she broke out the medicine.

“Here, take this,” Carol said.

Andrea complied without protest and took the drink that was offered.

“How is it out there?” Carol asked Michonne.

“Same. It’s quiet,” Michonne replied as she took the bottle from Carol and placed it on Andrea’s forehead, trying to cool down the fever even if only slightly.

Andrea looked at her, “You’re lying.”

“We should go in a few days,” Michonne sighed.

“They’re coming,” Andrea sighed, “You two should go.”

“No,” both Michonne and Carol said at the same time.

“I’ll hold you back. Go. I can take care of myself. I saved your asses all winter, didn’t I?” Andrea smiled before ending up coughing.

Carol quickly patted her back while Michonne offered the water to the sick woman, but Andrea was having none of it.

“I won’t have you both dying for me. Good soldier won’t leave your post. Screw you,” Andrea moved away from them, tucking herself into her blanket.

Michonne and Carol shared a look, sighing in exasperation.

“We’ll go in a few days,” Michonne decided.

“If we stay...I’ll die here,” Andrea said.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The door rolled open with a bang. There was nothing in sight so their path was pretty safe. Michonne looked back at her companions. Andrea was slightly holding onto Carol who was holding a bat in her hand. Andrea looked sick while Carol looked worried. Next to them was Michonne’s pet walkers who, from what Andrea and Carol observed, had been acting as repellant all the time they had been with her but she never told them where the walkers came from or who they had been to Michonne before they turned.

With a tug at the walkers, Michonne lead the walk down the path. Carol and Andrea followed from behind and away from the walkers.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“Not bad,” Rick said as he observed the arsenals on the table.

Shane narrowed his eyes as he checked them. “Flashbangs, CS Triple-Chasers. Not sure how they’d work on walkers, but we’ll take it.”

Glenn picked up one of the gear helmets. It was slimy with some kind of walker guts or something. He pulled a face at the smell and the feel on his hand.

“Eww...” he complained softly.

“I ain’t wearing that shit,” Shane pointed at the gear while looking at Rick.

“We could boil ’em,” T-Dog suggested.

“Ain’t enough firewood in the whole forest. No. Besides, we made it this far without ‘em, right?”

“Hershel.”

They all turned around to see Patricia at the door. She motioned towards the cell block with her head.

“Everything all right?” Rick asked.

“Yeah. Nothing to worry about,” Patricia assured them with a smile before walking away with Hershel on her heels.

Rick and Shane looked at each other and watched them go. But neither said anything and turned their focus back on the weapons.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

“It’s the baby. I think I lost it,” Lori said.

“You haven’t felt it move?” Hershel asked.

“Nothing,” Lori shook her head. “And no Braxton-Hicks. At first I thought it was exhaustion or malnutrition.”

“You’re anemic?”

“If we’re all infected, then so is the baby. So what if it’s stillborn? What if it’s dead inside me right now? Whad if it rips me apart?” Lori asked frightened.

“Stop. Don’t let your fear take control of you,” Hershel advised.

“Okay. Then let’s say it lives and I die during childbirth.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Why not? How many women died in childbirth before modern medicine? If I come back, what if I attack it? Or you? Or Rick? Or Carl? If I do, if there is any chance, you put me down immediately,” Lori’s voice shook but she was determined even though she was on the verge of tears, “You don’t hesitate, me, the baby... if we’re walkers, you don’t hesitate and you don’t try to save us. Okay?”

Hershel looked and smiled at her kindly. “That’s not going to happen to you because we still have secret weapon for that, Lori. Harry’s potions. Remember? We’ve been saving them. Almost never touching them for this moment.”

Lori choked laughter out. “I’ve forgotten about all of that stuff. We rarely bring them out.”

“That’s because we were saving them for this moment. To help you and the baby. So don’t you worry, okay?”

Lori sniffed as she looked down with red rimmed eyes. “It’s just...sometimes I just thought it might have been better if...”

“If what?”

She exhaled. “I’d never made it off the farm.”

“You’re exhausted, frightened.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” she chuckled bitterly, “My son can’t stand me. And my husband...and Shane, the father of my baby...after what I put them through...”

“We’ve all been carrying that weight. All winter,” Hershel reminded.

“I tried to talk to him. To Rick. He...”

“He’ll come around,” Hershel assured her.

“He hates me. He’s too good a man to say it, but I know. I made Shane lost the one person he might find happiness with.... And Rick....I put him and Shane at odds even though everything was going smoothly and he forgave me for the affair...and I don’t even know anymore why I did all of that...” she broke down crying.

“You know who doesn’t give a shit about that?” Hershel asked. “This baby.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle, albeit a little bitterly.

“Now let’s make sure everything’s all right,” Hershel said.

Lori nodded.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

The men were getting ready to explore more of the prison. They put on whatever protective gear they could find that was clean enough. Rick and Shane helped them put on the gear and Patricia, Maggie and Beth helped the rest of the men after they were shown how to do it. Beth smiled as she saw Carl putting on a helmet that was too big for him.

“You won’t need that,” Rick took the helmet from the boy, “I need you to stay put.”

“You’re kidding,” Carl protested.

“We don’t know what’s in there. Something goes wrong, you could be the last man standing. I need you to handle things here,” Rick explained.

Carl nodded, “Sure.”

“Great. Let’s go,” Rick told the men and caught sight of Lori at the upper ground.

They looked at each other. Lori wasn’t sure what to say, or feel or think at the blank look Rick was giving her before he turned away. Shane was the first to leave. Followed by T-Dog, Glenn, Jimmy, Dale, Hershel and lastly, Rick.

Treading softly through the dark corridors with torch lights in hand, they found it pretty quiet and full of dead prisoners. All of them with their brains damaged one way or another. Glenn marked every turn with spray paint. It was pretty clear until they bumped into a corridor full of walkers and everything turned to hell. The walkers came from everywhere. Even from the direction they originally came from, making them unable to make their way back. Glenn and Maggie got separated from the others and had to hide in a nearby closet. The others hid in a storage room. They waited until the herd passed by and the corridor was clear.

“Where’s Glenn and Maggie?” Rick asked with a whisper.

“We have to go back,” Hershel replied in an equally low voice.

“But which way?” Shane asked.

Slowly, everyone made their way back to the corridor they came from, calling Glenn and Maggie’s names as loud as they could without drawing any attention from walkers. They were passing by another dark corridor when Hershel heard his daughter’s voice calling out to them. He turned to the corridor, treading softly and calling out to Maggie. Unfortunately, a dead body he walker over wasn’t as dead as it seemed. It was a walker. It immediately grabbed Hershel’s leg and bit into it, tripping the man to the floor, ripping a scream of pain out of the old man’s throat.

“No!” Rick shouted as they ran back and shot the walker in the head.

The damage had been done, though. Hershel was bitten and bleeding quite heavily. Hershel’s scream not only drew Maggie and Glenn back to them, but also the walkers. Rick and Glenn quickly picked Hershel up and wound each of his arm around their shoulders.

“No!” Maggie cried.

“Shane!” T-Dog called, pointing to the direction where walkers were approaching.

Unfortunately, walkers also came from the other end of the corridor. They quickly found themselves blocked and had to retreat from the nearest turn where Maggie and Glenn had hidden before. They moved until they were cornered in front of a chained door with padlocks. Breaking the locks was easy and they immediately went into the room and shut the door. T-Dog and Shane blocked the door the best they could with their own bodies. T-Dog took a risk reaching for a broken leg of a table. It was made of steel. He used it to block the door together, preventing the walkers from barging in.

Rick and Glenn put Hershel on the ground. Rick ripped the leg of Hershel’s pants to find the bite wound bleeding profusely. Swallowing hard, he made a quick decision.

“Hold him down,” he ordered as he unbuckled his belt. Rick tied the belt around Hershel’s thigh as tight as possible. He reached for his axe slowly. “All right. Only one way to keep you alive,” he said apologetically.

And with that, Rick started to chop Hershel’s leg just below the knee as hard as possible and as fast as possible. Hershel’s yells were painful to all of them but Rick kept working. A couple hits in, Hershel lost consciousness to his pain. Everyone heaved with stress, trying to catch their breath.

“We should leave now,” Rick said, trying to stop the bleeding.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Shane saw silhouettes in another room.

“Duck,” he whispered to them.

Without questions, they all ducked close to the floor while Shane pulled up his rifle, pointing it in front of him. Behind a counter, in another room, were prisoners. Five of them and still alive, still human, and looking pretty shocked.

“Holy shit,” one of them whispered.

**-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-**

**_Seven months ago..._ **

A shot to the head and the body that used to be Jim dropped to the ground. Harry looked sadly at the body as Daryl pulled out his arrow out of the head. They had stumbled upon the walker on their search for Merle. Remembering his promise to the man, Harry insisted on taking the walker down.

It had been a four days since they left the farm. Three since they went back to see what had happened. The night the wards around the farmhouse were supposed to fall, Harry felt the first intrusion of danger on the wards and then it was followed quickly by dozens of others. He knew immediately what it meant. Harry told Daryl immediately, saying he wanted to go back and help the group. But before Daryl could reply, the wizard suddenly collapsed to the ground with a loud gasp. He started to shake like he was having a seizure and glowed with a golden light.

Luckily for them, they were staying inside an abandoned house for the night and the area was pretty clear of walkers. Otherwise, they would be drawn to Daryl’s shout of surprise and Harry’s whimpers of pain. Daryl was freaking out as he didn’t know what was happening and how to help the younger man as he was having an attack on the floor. The golden light around Harry glowed brighter and brighter until suddenly it went out with one last explosion of golden light. Luckily, the explosion was pretty soundless. Daryl, not so much, as he was thrown back by the backlash. He groaned as he tried to clear his head and focus his eyesight as much as he could after being blinded by the light. He found Harry out cold on the floor, pale and unmoving. Whatever attack he had had passed. Daryl quickly checked for any pulse and was relieved when he found Harry was still alive, albeit weakened. After moving the younger man to a couch, he spent the night looking out for any walkers possibly drawn by the light and sound and checking on Harry.

The wizard didn’t regain consciousness until the next day. By then, it was almost evening. Daryl asked what happened. Apparently something went wrong at the farm. Harry insisted on going back to check on the group’s condition. Daryl, on the other hand, wanted Harry to rest some more as he was still pale and weak. But Harry was stubborn and said he had no problem going back alone while Daryl waited for him at the house. With no other choice, Daryl accompanied him, lest something happened to the wizard again and no one could watch his back.

The farm was in worst condition than they first thought. Walkers were everywhere. The barn was burnt to the ground and the place had been abandoned by the group. Only the fact that the cars were missing, though the RV was obviously not, that they knew the group were still alive. Well, that and Harry’s ability to call the souls of any dead person he wanted and none from the group had showed up.

From there, they went back to their first plan to look for Merle. Although, a little more reluctant than the first time because they couldn’t help but worry for the people of their previous group. But, the pain from their latest drama with the group was still fresh on Harry’s mind and heart so they steeled themselves.

They rode on Merle’s bike for days in the direction his wand pointed about Merle’s location until they found Jim the Walker by coincidence. It had been wandering quite far away from the original spot they left Jim before.

“Okay, let’s get going,” Daryl said.

“Alright. Thank you for this, Daryl,” Harry smiled gratefully.

Daryl scoffed and rolled his eyes but the tiny smile on his lips betrayed him. They were about to ride again when a couple of cars approached and stopped in front of them. Both men stiffened. Daryl immediately reached for his crossbow and pointed at the newcomers. A man came out and pointed a shotgun at them followed by some others.

“Whoa! Wait, everyone! Calm down!” another man said as he came out from the other side of the car. “Lower the weapons, guys,” he told his people.

Slowly, the men lowered their weapons. Daryl kept his own up. The guy who seemed to be in charge just smiled kindly at them with his arms up to show he meant no harm. He was tall with brown hair and a charming smile.

“It’s okay. We don’t want any trouble, alright?” the man said kindly.

Harry wasn’t convinced. Something about the man bugged him. But he put his hand on Daryl in a calming manner anyway. Slowly, Daryl also lowered his crossbow.

“That’s right,” the man’s smile widened. “We just want to ask if you guys are alright. Need any help or something maybe?”

“No one offers help to strangers these days,” Daryl said.

“You’re right,” the man said. “But not us. We’re from a place. A community. There are plenty of us and we’re out here to recruit and sometimes save people. There is safety in numbers after all. We’re staying in a place called Woodbury. We have walls, supplies and weapons. We’re wondering if you guys are interested in joining us.”

“Why?” Daryl asked.

The man shrugged. “You both seem like you can handle yourselves. You would be a great addition to the safety of our community. And also...I’m wondering if you’re the man we’re looking for?”

Daryl’s frown deepened. “What do you mean?”

“Weeks ago we found a man bleeding to death. His hand was severed. We saved him and he has been staying with us ever since. He wanted to look for his brother but he was still weak so he can’t. I promised him I would watch out for his brother. A man with a crossbow but...we’ve found men like that a couple of times now and none of them were the right man. I’m wondering if you’re him,” the man explained.

Daryl and Harry shared a look.

“What’s his name?” Harry asked.

The man looked at him and smiled, “Why don’t you tell us your names first?”

“Why don’t **you** tell us **your** names first?” Daryl challenged. “You could’ve been lying to us about your story.”

“Just answer the governor!” one of the men barked.

“Hey!” the man in charge snapped.

“You made them call you Governor?” Daryl asked with disdain.

“It just happened,” the man shrugged helplessly. “I was there at the beginning and helped a lot. Somehow I ended up leading them and suddenly I am the Governor.”

“Yeah, right,” Daryl sneered.

“Daryl,” Harry whispered.

“The man’s looking for his brother is Merle Dixon. Do you happen to be Daryl Dixon?” Governor asked.

Daryl relaxed without realizing. The man grinned.

“That’s what I thought. I was told you were staying with a group?”

“Not anymore,” Daryl said.

“We split up the rest of the group a few days ago. And then we found out the place they were staying at was ambushed by walkers,” Harry explained.

“Walkers. That’s what you call them? We called them biters,” Governor grinned. “Why the split up?”

“Too much drama,” Daryl sneered. “And I was looking for my brother.”

Governor chuckled. “I can get that. So, you guys believe us? We can go back to our place. You can keep your weapons. And ride on your bike behind us if you want to be cautious. We won’t be offended.”

Both men shared a look again.

“Alright,” Harry nodded.

“Perfect,” Governor grinned. “Still haven’t got your name.”

“Likewise,” Harry replied.

“Fair point. But I’m sure I’ll get it sooner or later anyway,” Governor’s smile widened.

“And I’m not calling you Governor,” Harry retorted.

Governor let out a full belly laugh. “Well, this have been great. But why don’t we get back to Woodbury? Bet your brother would be anxious to meet you. Shall we?”

**~ To be continued ~**


End file.
